


Sonic Drabbles

by Itssilverbrich



Category: Sonic Underground, Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: ..........ive seen clips, AKA, Amy is 12 years old and barely less competent than 18 year old Rouge, Angy, Either Or, Excuse my French, FUCK i need a break from writing but its so fun and i cant stop, GUN has no rights, Get it?, HAHA NOT MIDNIGHT FUCKERS, Heck you midi, Hospitals, I swear, Im desperate, Infinite goes by Finn, Infinite is not what you think, Infinite is trying to be good and find his squad!!!, Knuckles and Shadow are tsunderes, Pray for me, SHADOW IS NOT CRUEL, Skipping Meals, Some of these guys are more mentioned than anything soooo, Sonic is Arthur, Sonic is a chaos emerald so yeeeaaah, Why?, aaanyway, aka ily >:(, alien! sonic, also, also have you seen the latest idw?, also sonic please stop sacrificing yourself for others ffs, also wittle mention of a friend's oc because I Love My Friend, another sonic white chap, another tmnt cameo, anyway, anyway tails is baby and deserves the world, bada bing bada boom sonic equals bird, because bird equals freedom and sonic equals freedom, because my friend Loves Them and i Love My Friend, but he cant escape consequences and my thirst for drama and confrontation, but still, card games can and will be emotional torture devices, cream deserves the world, did i put a su reference in here?, eggman dies and everyone else lives happily ever after, eggman is a lier no one is shocked, evil! sonic, gadget doesnt know, gadget had a twin sister!!, gadget is an orphan, have i ever watched su?, hey do not be like aleena, hey i think im getting better at this writing thing!!!, hopefully, hoping to get a lot of writing done with this bug going around, i guess?, i just see a lot of angsty potential with her, i make a duck pun once though, i swear i can explain, i swear i dont hate longclaw, i swear if they hurt my son, i swear to fuck if you ship shadaria i will fucking kill you, if i have to deal with unnecessary emotions so do you bitches, im trying to be clever with my titles so yeah, im very clever :3, it was just an illusion meant to break sonics spirit and make him more manipulable, its not too bad!!, its not too graphic, just ya know involves dying and your corpse being used as a power source, mental ill reasons, might write with these guys later tho, money reasons, more verbal than anything but still, not a big deal!, not for like, oh forgot to mention in chap one, or well written fanfic, please excuse me trying to write card games, sega is a coward but ya bitch is not baybee, send help, shadow feels guilty, shadow is Bad with emotions but hes trying, shadow is still messed up just in different ways, she is a terrible example, shes dead now, silver can have a little murder. as a treat, silver is my boy and i love him, silver writes another really specific and vague au; the cryptiding, snow white the sonicing, so much hc is in this thing like I Can Not Go Into Enough Detail On That, so yeah all character death is either just like if youre squinting or temporary, so yeah i update the tags per drabble lol, sonic can bake, sonic does, sonic got a rruuuubyyy, sonic is a bird, sonic is just really Tired, sorry should have said something sooner, spoiler alert; it didnt work, tails gets injured this chapter, tails is fine dw, the conclusion is coming and then imma take a break from here, the title is supposed to be a reference to uno, theyre monsters, theyve shown up before and they show up now and they will show up again, this is meant to make you cry, this just in: Tails is an eight year old and deserves to have emotions, tomxsonic is bad and if you ship it I get to take your bones, tw blood, tw child abuse, use transitive math and, wash your fucking hands, whole black knight reference, why, wolf boy is saaaaaad, yeeeaaaaah blame my discord pals for this movie one, yes - Freeform, yes all my titles have been song titles so sue me ive been staying up i have no working brain cells, yes. yes i did., you couldnt pay me to believe that episode shadow was a thing, zero is an archaeologist that did nothing wrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2020-06-23 12:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 37,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19700962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itssilverbrich/pseuds/Itssilverbrich
Summary: So, I seem unable to continue what I wanna write so I guess this is where I'm putting that stuff I write when it doesn't really have a place to go so I can read em later.Oh. Sure, I guess you can read em too.Oh, hey, I update the tags per chapter too.Some trigger warning for Ruby Red, Guac, and Parasite. Main Character Death is heavily implied in there but it's either just implied or fake or temporary.I'd like to formerly apologize to LongClaw for chap. 13, its more of a vent than anything and shes really ooc there so.





	1. Ruby Red

**Author's Note:**

> This is like a Forces AU where Sonic got like a phantom ruby. There's not too many details but I did mention some torture.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is like a Forces AU where Sonic got like a phantom ruby. There's not too many details but I did mention some torture.

He hurt. He hurt a lot, but numbly. He felt numb. He felt tired. He hurt. Being alone, trapped, a failure, a loser, failing his friends every second hurt. It hurt like a dull ache in his chest.

Sort like the ruby in his chest. He didn’t know how it was a ruby, maybe someone had called it that? He certainly couldn’t tell the difference. Someone, no, two someones he had known would have.

One would have called him, ‘Blue.’ The other would have called him, ‘Idiot.’

What was he called again? He knew he knew. He just hurt, was hurt, so much that right now he couldn’t remember. The people here called him many things.

“Stay down, buffoon.” “Hello, rat.” “FOOL!” “What a pest…..” “Insignificant bug.” “Hello again, Sonic.” “Hm? Need another beating, Faker?” “NO ONE IS COMING FOR YOU, SC-”

Wait. Sonic. That...That felt right. He tested it on his tongue, like sampling chili for its spiciness. The ruby glowed dimly from its place under his skin. Yes, that was it, that was him. His name was Sonic.

Sonic sat up on broken bones, a bit of strength returning to him with this revelation. Sonic looked around his cell with dull, green eyes, checking for opponents. At the absence of adversaries, his dirty blue quills relaxed, their destructive capabilities unneeded at this time. Sonic sighed, leaning against the metal wall, the only illumination being the blue beams at the end of his cell.

That and the ruby radiating in time with the beat of his heart. Sonic remembered it being put in. He fought and struggled, right up until he was on the operating table and under the doctor’s knife. He remembered a single cold yellow eye, swimming in red, staring down at him as he screamed.

Sonic had tried to claw it out at first, the red gem flashing in panic. They wrapped his hands up, scolded him like a child, laughed at his discomfort and pain.

Who did? Sonic had a hard time remembering him too, a large man with a long mustache. He looked like a kind grandfather, if not for his sinister grin.

He sent in others, a Yeti, a being of water, a machine duplicate of Sonic, a traitor. Sonic fought all of them.

He lost. Everytime he thought he was winning, something would happen and he’d be on the ground, gasping for breath. A flash of red, a gleam in his enemies’ eye, a sliver of yellow in the corner of his eye. That’s all it took and he was down.

Then they punished him. Sometimes the pain was more in his head, ruby screaming in protest. Sometimes it was more ...physical. His hands shook as they shoved him back under water. His throat ached as they flipped the switch once more, losing his voice from screaming.

Sonic fought harder, eager to get back at his enemy for forcing him to endure that. He still lost.

Especially against the traitor. Sonic was ready for anyone else; he had always seen their faces leering over him as he struggled to his feet. But the traitor...Shadow? Sonic had thought him past this. Sonic had called him a friend. Sonic had leaned on his side, laughing at the braids Cream was putting in their quills. Sonic had fretted beside Rouge as Shadow calmed down from a flashback. Sonic had mourned when he was thought dead. Shadow stepped out, eyes an apathetic, soulless red and the ruby’s passionate glow weakened, hesitated. Shadow’s bloodthirsty rubies did not. Shadow enjoyed pressing his shoe against Sonic’s desperate pleas for him to see reason and let him go.

Sonic hated Shadow.

No, he didn’t. Sonic couldn’t bring himself to hate Shadow, memories of tea parties and races and battles filling his head the moment he tried. Sonic didn’t cry, he hadn’t cried in years, he wasn’t about to start now. Though he did want to, the pain and fear and anger and confusion and despreation pressing behind his eyes.

Sonic’s ear flicked at the sound of footsteps approaching his humble quarters. A robot, a monster, or that person who was a bit of both. Sonic was too tired to care, his spikes on guard all the same. He heard a conversation in front of his cell, two voices snaking around his ears.

“...Experiment ...failure…”

“Doctor ...suggest…..lethal…..motivation…..”

“No ...waste…..emotional…..”

“...pleasure…...immediately….”

The voices faded, footsteps indicating at least one of them leaving. Sonic waited a few minutes before curling up, body begging for sleep.

He heard his cell open, the blue light of the beams suddenly vanishing. He uncurled, a familiar figure standing in the entrance.

Tails.

“TAILS!” Sonic cried out in relief, scrambling over to the two tailed kit. “Ha, I knew you’d come!”

Sonic wrapped the fox in a hug, gem shining joyfully. The fox hugged back, body surprisingly cold. Tails smiled at him once they separated, taking his hand and leading him out.

The alarms started flashing as they ran, Tails’ face turning to fear. Sonic felt old brotherly instincts flare to life and he pushed head, taking directional cues from his little bro. They didn’t say a word as they ran, too afraid for banter. Tails’ glove felt strange in his bare hand but Sonic didn’t care. He was getting out, he was going to be free-

Sonic skidded to a sudden stop, pushing Tails behind him as the glow of his ruby faltered.

Metal. Metal Sonic blocked their path, his claws sharp and his eyes red. Sonic felt something inside him tighten into a painful ball but he forced himself to stay strong, he was not going to fail or fall apart, not in front of Tails.

The two blues stood at a standstill before charging at the other, metal scraping against metal, sneakers scruffing up the polished floor. Tails hung back, baby blues watching in concern, tails stock still behind him. Sonic set his mouth to a thin line, refusing to lose again to his iron double. The tin can man swiped at him, Sonic leaping over his arm. Sonic curled into a ball, spindashing right in his center. Metal flung himself backwards at the attack, red pinpricks narrowing on Sonic and the kit behind him. Sonic slid in the opposite direction, improperly healed bones and scars crying out in protest. Sonic gritted his teeth, a low growl resounding from his throat. Sonic moved first this time, ricocheting off the walls before slamming into Metal’s head. Metal’s head spun, error signs appearing in his eyes as his systems struggled to catch up with the blue bullet. Sonic didn’t let him recalibrate, in no mood for showing mercy. He gave a spinning kick at the center of the machine, the robot bouncing on the floor like a rock in a pond before rising to his feet. Metal’s eyes had a specific target now, orders filing in his brain. Sonic charged again, confidence rising in him at his current lead. Sonic went for an easy shot, focusing his spin dash at the robot’s metal skull-

Metal decentagrated into hauntingly familiar red squares. Sonic’s eyes widened, recognizing them from a newer foe.

“What-?!” Sonic squeaked out, turning around to face Metal.

“P R I O R I T Y ; H E D G E H O G. A I M A T; W E A K S P O T S.” Metal’s voice rang out, raising a metal claw to Sonic’s face before he could react.

Sonic cried out, sharp metal raking against his skin, scratching at his eye. The attack left him blinded for a minute, reopening an old wound. He stayed frozen for a minute, frantic to locate Metal, ears swiveling around. He heard Tails’ shoes shuffling against the floor, fur whipping and hitting metal, hands pounding against aluminum.

Then he heard it. A quiet cry of pain and a body hitting the floor. Sonic forced his good eye open, stumbling towards the sound.

Red. Red on Metal, red on walls, red on ceilings, red on- on Tails-!

Oh Chaos, Tails, oh Gaia, no-

Sonic found himself in a haze, Tails still in his arms as he heard his voice call out for the other desperately. His ruby illuminated the tear in flesh easily enough for Sonic to know how the other died. This wasn’t right, he- he couldn’t have failed, Tails had to be okay, he couldn’t be dead-

He heard voices talking above him, as if this was just some dinner and a show, a boring and disappointing one at that, already discussing the next play.

“...disappointing battle…...same time next week?”

“Looking forward to it, Doctor. Better luck next time, hedgehog.”

Sonic couldn’t feel Tails in his arms anymore, the world no longer just bathed red by the blood dripping on his face. His ruby flared in time to a war cry, the declaration drumming toward its climax.

‘Next time’? Was someone else coming to rescue him? Was Knuckles angrily muttering, or Amy worrying as they raced towards his location?

No. Sonic ...Sonic couldn’t do that again, refused to do it again. The world could be falling apart for all he knew, he had trapped here for Gaia knows how long, he was tired and angry and in pain and they took every advantage they could, the almost victories, the cubes, this ruby, Tails!

They wanted to play dirty?

Sonic rose to his feet, his ruby pounding out a furious manta. The voices turned back, shouted things, called for aid, ran. Cubes and figures flickered in and out of existence by his side.

Fine. He’ll play dirty.

Sonic’s world flared into ruby red.


	2. Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is based off a concept made by me and a couple of pals on Discord. Blame Midi, if you know her.
> 
> The concept is since Were! Sonic has Dark Gaia Juice in him, when you first look at him....you see your greatest fear. It's also kinda a character study, I guess. I don't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, before you read this, remember to take good care of yourself, ya know, eating, sleeping (8 hours at least!!!!), showering, brushing (your hair and teeth!!!). All of it. Take care of yourself because someone out there cares about you. :)

A corpse. A corpse was fighting off monsters. He didn't know why and at the moment, he didn't care because that corpse….

was his brother.

Tails hadn't seen Sonic in weeks, the older hedgehog dashing out the door with seven emeralds in hand and grin on face as he told Tails he was going to go give Egghead a run for his money.

Tails hadn't seen him since.

Eggman's machines and these horrid purple things, like waterlogged bodies, had shown in the street and the plant broken apart. Tails had been worried Sonic had gotten lost or hurt! But...dead? No, please, not dead.

He looked back behind the wall he was cowering. Green blank eyes met his terrified blue ones.

“...Tails?” his name came out in a groan, a groan of pain and blame. But bodies couldn't talk...could they? “They're gone. You can come out.”

The corpse smiled and the illusion shattered. Where a water lodged, shambling corpse stood, there was Sonic. Bigger and haired and with a weird little dog thing, but undeniably Sonic.

“Sonic!” He cried, flying to his brother's arms. “Where have you been?! What happened?! You scared me for a minute! “

Sonic squeezed him in a hug.

“Of what? Me? Geez, Tails, do I look that different?”

Amy ran into her love and felt her heart break. He was looking at her with so much hatred, so much contempt. He hadn't liked her, he'd never had. Why would he?

Amy was obsessive, loud, obnoxious-

Wait.

Her Sonic wouldn't say those things about her! This obviously wasn't Sonic! In fact, she was certain he hadn't said a thing, silly Amy!

“Sorry!” She cried, heartbreak and fear leaving her eyes for embarrassment.

Sonic saw.

Why was she afraid?

“Yo, Knuxs! Think you could give us a hand with some translation?”

Knuckles snorted, turning towards Sonic's voice.

“Sonic, I'm a bit busy to play guessing games, I got a real-”

The emerald. Oh chaos, the emerald.

He'd failed. How could he of have failed? Laughter filled his ears. Haven't they taken enough?! At least, leave him his pride! He swung at the danger, it easily pinning him to the wall of the former resting place of the Master Emerald. He was supposed to protect it-!

Oh chaos. Was this how he died? A voice cut through the laughter.

“-ckles! Knuckles!? Calm down!” It sounded...familiar. Important.

Wait.

Oh, shoot, he was hallucinating, in front of Sonic and probably Tails no less-!

Knuckles looked at Sonic, his breathing calming as the terror and anger bled from his eyes. He found himself looking up.

“...You got taller.” Knuckles heaved out, Sonic releasing him from his hold.

Sonic laughed dryly, retorting, “Is that the only thing you noticed?”

Shadow watched the sun sink and heard the sounds of someone struggling. It sounded close. Too close.

Had something happened to his current companion?

“Sonic!” He called, expecting the blue nuisance to dash to his side.

“Yeah?” He heard Sonic call back, approaching slowly. Shadow shook his head and opened his eyes, capturing the face of pure annoyance.

“There you are. Ready to-”

So much blood. So many holes. His mouth was moving, he was saying something, Shadow should listen.

He hadn't listened before.

Not as much as he should have.

This was his fault.

“N-no, Sonic, I, I didn't know, please, I didn't, didn't mean to, i'm, Sonic, oh chaos, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.” Shadow choked out, his mind screaming.

Purple. Red and blue made purple. So much purple. Not again. Not again. So much purple. He hated purple.

“Sonic, I, I, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-”

If he just paid more attention, had been faster, Sonic wouldn't have, Sonic wouldn't be-!

“Mean to what, Shades?”

The tone was so casual, so confused, so concerned, so alive. Shadow blinked and the blood and the holes were gone and there was Sonic, at least a foot taller but alive and doing that obnoxious foot tappy thingy.

Sonic saw the pain and regret, the fear, fade away and forced a smile.

“Gee, Shades, good to know you care!” He teased, eager to get the pinch of pain buried.

Silver ran.

So much fire! He thought he had stopped all the fiery futures! What had he missed? What had he forgotten?

He could fix this! He had to. He couldn't accept this, he couldn't.

He turned his head back. A flaming beast seemed to form in the flames and Silver felt his heart stop.

He looked around, desperate. A car! Cars were good!

“S-stay away from me, you monster!” He cried, hurling the car at the beast.

The car hit the target and Silver heard a yelp, like a dog. and suddenly all the fire was gone.

A...A hallucination? Oh. Oh thank goodness.

He heard a whimper and his eyes widened. The car! Had he actually hit someone?

He lifted it up of the ground and placed it back where it came from.

Silver turned back.

“S-sorry, stranger, you scared me!” Silver apologized. A grayish-blue large shape dashed past him, nearly bowling over the snow white hedgehog.

Silver stared after. Huh. That was weird. This was also weird. He didn't remember the others mentioning a season where the plant breaks and your worst fears chase you in the street. Silver rubbed his forehead. He should probably find someone he knew. This was crazy….

Sonic hurled tightly into a ball, ears pinned to the back of his head. His eyes were squeezed shut.

“I'm not a monster, I'm not a monster, I'm not a monster… “ he chanted to himself, his breathing heavy.

Chip licked his popsicle, tongue turning vibrant blue. Sonic sat in a beach chair, the sunglasses and shade of the umbrella he sat under hiding his face.

“Wow, isn't this place beautiful, Sonic?” Chip asked, his eyes filled with childlike wonder as he stared out at the teal waves.

Sonic grunted in response, chin resting on his arms as he leaned on the small glass table.

Chip frowned, flitting over.

“Sonic?” He asked, his popsicle dropping on the table. “Are you okay?”

Sonic was quiet for a minute.

“...Chip?” Sonic's voice came quiet and vulnerable, almost like he was afraid to ask. “When we first met...what did you see?”

Chip frowned, confused.

“Well, uh, it's hard to remember because of how long ago it was but..” Chip ignored Sonic's chuckle at the forgetting part. “But I saw you, but not you. You were glowing purple and green and you had a third eye and you were towering over me! You were scary! Like a monster from a scary movie or something!”

Chip noticed the hurt on Sonic's face a little too late. He floundered.

“N-not that you look like that anymore! C’ Mon! I'm sorry, don't be sad! Uh, be sad!”

Sonic sat up, sunglasses hiding eyes as he smiled tightly.

“No, No, Chip, it's fine. I asked. Besides this..this is only temporary! ...I hope.” Sonic muttered the last bit to himself. “But even if it's not really temporary, I'm not really a….monster.”

He looked at Chip, sunglasses sliding down enough to show terrified emerald green eyes.

“Right?”

Chip nodded feverishly. Sonic nodded slowly back, lowering his head back to the table for a quick nap.

Sonic woke up at sunset, chair breaking beneath him.

He struggled to his feet, carefully taking a sleeping Chip of the table.

As he walked, he caught his reflection in the water.

Green. Green and purple. Green, purple, blue, red, death, failure, heartbreak, guilt, terror. Two anxious emerald green eyes stared at his reflection and three magenta ones stared back.

Sonic backed away, counting to ten.

“I'm not a monster.” He told himself, ignoring his voice cracking.

“Dear Chaos, please tell me I'm not a monster.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, mind leaving a comment? It really helps motivate me to write!


	3. Cake By The Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, another discord concept!
> 
> Sonic gets turned into a merhog!!! :) how nice!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe!!!

It’s 12 in the afternoon and Sonic could name about a hundred things he rather be doing. 

It was a beautiful day, he could go for a run, he could take a nap, he could have a picnic, tea party, literally anything would be better than this! 

But nooooo. Life was never easy for him, was it?   
Sonic gritted his teeth as the soles of his sneakers struggled to grip into the smooth metal wing of the Tornado. Sonic glanced down at the icy blue beneath them, the mighty roar of the ocean indistinguishable from the drone of the wind around him. He shuddered at the sight, focusing back on the other flying object.  
It was a familiar scene, though it had yet to endear itself to Sonic. Tails’s face was equally tense as he circled Eggman, the panicked cries of sea critters and birds barely able to be heard from the container.   
“I’m going in!” The blue hedgehog called to his younger brother, who only nodded and positioned the plane for Sonic’s attack. Sonic clung, his legs bracing themselves for the leap.  
He nearly missed, grabbing the edge of the container and crawling up onto the lid. Sonic pressed down on the lid, Eggman’s angry threats drowned out by the strong breeze. The birds took flight, sea creatures diving into the blue beneath them eagerly. Sonic smiled at the happy animals.

His ears twitched, a muffled shout from Tails barely heard. Sonic twisted his head to glance back at him, his shoes scraping against the hollow container. He heard a machine’s gears lock.

He looked up, eyes widening in shock, just in time to see the claw previously holding the container in the air release.

Sonic couldn’t help the scream ripped from his throat as he tumbled through the air, Tails diving after him. He hit the water and he froze, shock keeping him from struggling from the ocean’s icy grip. He sank fast and deeply, his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. The world turned dark as he sank, Sonic barely able to see the Tornado circling like a vulture.

He black outs or something like that, but it’s hard to explain the sensation of something clawing at his sides, forcing air into his lungs. It’s hard to explain something as terrifying as feeling something infinitely more powerful than him wrapping around his limp body, like seaweed around a drowning man’s leg, something from the world he didn’t even want to be apart of tethering him to a watery grave. It’s hard to explain a voice, like the sound of tides lapping at the shores, whispering in Sonic’s ear indisthaugable words in a uncompranshable tone.

It was hard to explain the feeling of dying, when you are not sure that was death or something worse.

Sonic woke up with the morning’s first rays on him. when he wakes, he doesn't know how long its been or where he is. he breathes in and out, in and out. he opens his eyes and the world is draped in haunting blue. hes closer to shore but he is still in the ocean.

underwater.

Sonic doesn't question how he's breathing because it never crosses his mind.

air. I need air.

Sonic just needs out the water.

he drags himself through the water, never looking back, only forward towards the land. his claws grip the sand on the shoreline as he drags himself up. Sonic should see Tails - he doesn't know how long he's been away, his brother might be worried. the mystic ruins aren't far from here - it's only a short run-

Sonic can't get up.

Breathing hits him too.

He can't stand, his legs aren't even bending the way they should, even if they were wrapped. It just... curves, and it's wrong.

Breathing is a chore, taking a breath felt like nothing, lungs refusing to accept anything.

the shore is too deeply slanted, and with a cry, he slips back into the water. the air - air? - rushes back into his lungs. the salt water stings in his eyes, Sonic needs to get out. an orange hand reaches through the blue, he grabs it like a lifeline.

"Sonic!" relief swells in his chest. His brother is okay and nothing bad has happened to him. His brother pulls him out of the water, fully this time. Blue eyes have been looking into green the whole time, filled with unwavering determination, but once his brother is out, his gaze breaks. He looks just a little further, and his grip on Sonic goes limp in an instant. 

Sonic has no idea what he's looking at. He pulls his hand free and crawls further away from the water, turning to glare back at it, just glad he wasn't within it's cold grasp again, and something entirely unexpected is just behind him. 

A giant fish, he supposes. He follows the tail, leading to where the "mouth" would be, but there's nothing. It just fades into blue and peach fur. He tried to move his legs, instincts telling him to get to his feet and move away from whatever this tail was.

But it mimics his movements, as small as they are. The fins flex and the tail curls, slapping the ground uselessly.

No. No no no no no no no this isn't real, it can't be because there's no way it's what it looks like.

"Tails," he croaks. "Get this thing offa me.”

But the fox takes a step back, bewilderment plastered on his face.

"Please! You have to help me, I- ghk-!" He can't breathe. Oh Chaos he can't breathe. Hands go for his neck as he sputters uselessly. The fox approaches once more.

Yes get me out please help me calls his mind.

Tails reaches out, and pushes Sonic into the water.

Fear and betrayal shoot through Sonic faster than he recognizes that he can breathe again, and he claws at the water again, as he flails against the surface, his chest lightens. He can breathe again, but the water still surrounds him.

Tails reaches again, and he pulls himself up this time.

"If you ever do that again, I'll-"

"I’m sorry! But it was all I could think to do and I didnt want you to suffocate!!"

"Why on earth would I suffocate? Are you-" his words cut off again by the need for air.

"Dunk your head in the water." Tails' voice is filled with so much force that he obliges. Air rushes back and he lifts his head out.

"Will you please explain?!"

"I don't know what's going on either! But my only guess is you keep getting all weird because you only breathe underneath the water." Tails pauses, takes in the sight of his brother once again. "Oh my gosh. You're a-”

''Don't you dare say it, Tails."

"You're a... mer-hog!" Even though he's laughing, Sonic can't see the humor.

As much as it pained him, the water was the only thing allowing him to speak, and he did have a tail, but that... that didn't make him that.

He was still a hedgehog!

"There's gotta be some way to reverse this." His voice is dry and in a fit, he scoops water into his palm and moves to drink it, only to look down at his hand in realization; they're webbed.

How did he not notice before? His hands were webbed. Just as he noticed, Tails noticed as well, taking his hand and examining it.

"...Hey, at least you'll be able to swim better!" 

Now was not the time for jokes.

Sonic could feel the way Tails was looking at him. It was the same way Robotnik used to look at him, back when they first met. It was a curiosity, a scientific curiosity.

He swatted his hand away.

"I don't want to swim! I don't want any of this!"

Tails faltered. "That's not what I-"

"No! You have to fix this." Sonic dunked his head underwater, panting as he caught his breath.

"How do you even expect me to do that? I don't even know what this is!"

"I don't know I dont know I don't know-" sentences blurred together, each word taking more and more out of him. Tails moved forwards. Sonic shook like a leaf, heaving his head into the water every few seconds. "Please. Pl- please..."

"Sonic, you have to stop! Get in the water before you pass out!"

Taking matters into his own hands, Tails jumps into the water. It's freezing and deeper than he expected, but neither of those things cross his mind as he sucks in a deep breath of air and grabs Sonic, pulling him under the surface and holding him still.

Sonic could breathe, but he was underwater. His hands shot up to bring him back out just to see a flash of orange, and looked over to see Tails. He was fully submerged, eyes squinting due to the water but still watching him, making sure he was alright.

Panic still etched into him but he suppressed it enough to speak, telling Tails to get out the water. 

It came out clear, as if he was speaking on dry land, and after an extra second of making sure his brother was okay, the kit pushed himself back to the surface and gasped, climbing to the silty sand and wet rock so he could catch his breath.

"We'll figure this out," he panted, looking over and expecting to see Sonic at the surface with him only to see him still underwater, breathing deeply for once. "We'll figure this out. We always do.”

Tails brings by some of Amy’s cake later. Sonic’s piece sat uneaten, the guy couldn’t breath above water, let alone, eat. Tails didn’t eat much either, his appetite nonexistent in the moment.  
“This reminds me of that one song you hate.” The fox murmured quietly, Sonic’s ears flicking in his direction. “Cake By The Ocean? You didn’t get the big whoop of it all.”  
Sonic snorted, a small smile appearing barely.  
“What do you think now that you’ve experienced it?” Tails teased.  
“Still don’t get it.” His bigger brother quipped.  
Tails laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment por favor


	4. Servant of Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did I make a sonic version of Servant of Evil? Yes, yes, I did. Cringe Culture is dead, my bitches, I'm living my best life.
> 
> But yeah, this is based on the vocaloid songs, Servant and Daughter of Evil. Check em out if you haven't already. Ily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading this! Since School is starting, remember to take care of yourself! I know its hard with all the school work and whatever but it's very important so remember, okay?   
> And for y'all who work and don't go to school, you better take care of yourself too! There's no shame in taking a minute to take care of yourself! Heck those shitty people who make it hard for you!!   
> Anyway, enjoy!

“No, please!” the female red wolf’s desperate cries echoed through the beautifully decorated but cold hall, wretched sound that brought pity and sorrow to all that heard it. “We didn’t know it was yours, Your Majesty, please! Please, he’s the only family I have left!”  
The other red wolf was silent, eyes wide in horror and terror for the punishment that awaited him. 

Beheading…….

The aforementioned ‘Majesty’ sat upon his golden throne, eyes as red as the suit on his body and as cold as the silver crown above his head. His eyes seemed to analyze the duo, the weeping sister and the unresistant brother. He waved a gloved hand, guards moving at the glint of his golden rings.  
“You should have thought of that before you took what was mine.” he snarled, standing and walking away from the great hall. The sister’s orange eyes widened before she wailed, the armed men and women barely keeping her away from the two of their comrades marching the quiet boy to his demise.  
“GADGET!”

A silent figure stood in the hall long after all had left, overshadowed by the formidable shimmering chair. Green eyes closed, a sigh escaping them before they rubbed their face, stepping into the light. 

Sonic adjusted his uniform by habit, his appearance in perfect condition as expected by his king.  
His king.  
Gosh, it had been 10 years referring to his twin brother as such and he still couldn’t get used to it. But Shadow was the king, was the ruler, was in power, and Sonic was his servant. Had been since birth, would be til death.   
Sonic had to stay, if not for Shads’ sake, than the people’s. Two lives would have been lost today if not for his intervention. Still……….  
The wolf’s sobs still echoed the red and gold hall so Sonic marched out, focusing his mind on his duties.

Shadow glared at the paperwork on his desk, the sunlight bearing down on him like the scold of an angry father. His garden was in bloom around him, from the littlest daisy to the greatest rose.  
Shadow didn’t care much for it but all the lords and ladies thought it fitting for the king to possess such a thing. 

Plus, his brother seemed to take a certain liking to caring for it. Shadow didn’t feel like dealing with his nagging.  
Speaking of which………  
“Tea time, Your Highness!” came Sonic’s almost annoyingly chipper voice, setting a tea cup and a small plate of freshly baked treats before him. “C’mon, take a break, won’t ya?”

Shadow huffed in annoyance at the interruption but put down his quill.  
“You’re late. Did something happen?” the ebony hedgehog questioned, noting with surprise his twin’s face turning a light red. A devilish grin grew across his face. “Ah, so something did happen!”  
The blue hedgehog sputtered, waving his hands in an attempt to somehow dissuade his ruler from questioning further. Shadow had no such mercy for his brother.   
“Are you going to tell me who this maiden is or am I going to need to send guards to town to search for her?” Shadow teased, sipping his honey lemon tea. Ah, he loved Tea time.  
“N-No! Aw, well, so we ran out of the tea you liked and I ran into town to retrieve it and when I was there, I ran into….” a dreamy sigh, the blue hedgehog forgetting his audience in favor of imagining the maiden. “Oh, the most beautiful feline. You should have seen her. She practically seemed to glow. A pity though, I think she was with that red echidna with her………”  
Shadow frowned at the end of the sentence, the sorrowful look on Sonic’s face not suiting him.  
“Did you manage to get her name?” Shadow asked, trying to think of some way to remove the possible lover from the equation without upsetting Sonic.  
“Yes, I did actually.” Sonic admitted. He glanced over Shadow’s head, a smirk of his own growing. “But, Your Majesty, I’m afraid I can’t tell you as Tea time is over and we both have duties to attend to.”  
“Wha-?! Hey, get back here!”

Sonic listened with growing horror to the sobs coming from his king, his brother, the door doing little to muffle the sounds. It was already a bad night, this was just the icing on the cake.   
Honestly, what had he expected? Life had never treated the brothers kind.   
Sonic couldn’t believe they had fallen for the same girl. He couldn’t believe Blaze, a princess of a far weaker kingdom, had the guts to refuse the king. And for a common peasant too! She was breathtaking in her defiance and heartbreaking in her reasoning.  
His ears pricked at the sound of a door opening and turned. His heart stopped and he felt afraid of his brother for the first time in his life.  
Shadow stood in the doorway, his body shaking with rage, face and eyes red and stained from crying.   
“Summon the generals.” he snarled at Sonic, voice quivering with heartbreak and fury.

Sonic kept his head down as he walked, not daring to even sneak a glance at the beautiful feline besides him. Sure, perfectly silhouetted by the moon and its gentle light, Blaze would probably look more beautiful than ever, her kind and wise and fiery heart burning in her eyes. But with what he was about to do, he didn’t deserve her kindness.

Sonic stopped, standing by a well in the clearing they had walked to.  
“Sonic?” Gaia, why did she have to say it so sweetly, like it was hot tea on her tongue. “Is something wrong?”  
He could tell her, warn her, say it, say it, you coward. Tell her your brother is a monster, tell her war is coming, tell her to run, to hide, because once you cross King Shadow, once you take something that he considers his, he will not stop until everything is as broken as he is-  
Sonic sees it. Shadow’s face when he discovers Sonic’s betrayal. It tears at everything he has ever been and ever was because Sonic is not a deserter. If...if Shadow is evil….  
Sonic reaches for the dagger in his coat.  
….Than Sonic is too, right? 

Blaze sees the glint of steel in the low light of the moon and her golden eyes widen in shock before closing them in acceptance. Sonic feels tears streaming down his face.

“I’m so sorry.”

Sonic walks to his room slowly, the energy sapped from him as he trodden past his king’s chambers. How could he? His king had commanded. He said he loved her. His brother had cried. 

Sonic heard a sharp gasp and turned, exhausted, dull emerald green eyes narrowed at who could be in here.   
Shadow stared at his brother, eyes wide at the blood on his hands. He...he hadn’t ever seen the results of the executions he ordered. He had never seen the blood he had spilled. Sonic’s red gloves made it feel oddly real.   
“Oh. Your Highness.” Sonic’s voice sounded dull and tired and the smile stretched across his face looked incredibly false. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I was just about to clean up. I’ll be up in the garden with your tea...in just a moment. Now if you’ll excuse me…”  
Sonic was gone by the time Shadow realized he had been crying. Shadow hurried down the hall, concerned.   
He was about to kick down the door, demand the blue hedgehog explained what was wrong, when he heard sobs. It wasn’t loud but it sure wasn’t quiet. Shadow’s hand hovered over the doorknob but what would he even do? Sonic was the comforter, Sonic was the happy one, the okay one, the one who didn’t fall apart in his room sobbing.   
Shadow? He was the king but there was only so much a crown could do.

Shadow turned away from the door.

Sonic dropped the tray, seeing the makeshift army at the gates. A orange armor clad wolf and a red echidna led the charge, the fiery colors of their bodies showing the passion of those who followed them.   
Of course. He should have expected it. Blaze was loved by all, it made sense that her murder and the ruin of her kingdom would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. He could see guards running out, exhausted from the battle before. They wouldn’t stand a chance even if they wanted to fight.   
Sonic lets out a panicked curse before running back downstairs.

Shadow stared out his window at the struggle below, his calm attitude merely a cover for his true terrified feelings. The majority of his staff had fled, leaving just him and Sonic.   
Well.  
Hopefully, him and Sonic. In truth, Shadow had not seen his brother since ...this morning. What if he left too, got tired of his attitude like everyone else. Sonic had always tried to make him better, an action he thought pointless. But if he was truly this tyrant everyone spoke of in whispers…...if he just listened to his brother, this all might not have happened. Too late though…..  
Sonic burst into the room, panting. He held up triumphantly a boat ticket and Shadow felt whatever relief he had felt at the blue hedgehog’s appearance slip away. Oh ...he was just here to ask permission to leave.  
Sonic shoved the ticket in his hand.  
“Here.” he said breathlessly, rushing around Shadow’s room looking for...something? “There’s gotta be some in here."

Shadow watched him zip around for a few minutes, growing increasingly confused.  
“Sonic.”  
“One sec! Oh, not here or here, maybe there?”  
“Sonic!”  
“Oh, but maybe up here?”  
“SONIC!”  
The blue hedgehog skidded to a stop. Shadow took a deep breath.  
“What are you doing?" 

"Uh, getting you out of here?" Sonic stared at him like he had three heads. "What else?"

"How? I'm the king, they won't stop until I'm dead." Shadow argued as Sonic resumed grabbing ...clothes? "No one would even hide me. It’s pointless.”  
You should just save yourself, he would have said next if Sonic hadn’t shoved pesent’s wear into his arms.   
“I know. Change into these.”  
Everything was moving too fast for Shadow to keep up, suddenly he was wearing traveler’s wear, Sonic’s in his clothes, Sonic’s painting Shadow lightning blue and Shadow just wanted him to slow down, to explain what was happening but everytime he asked, Sonic would splat more paint on his fur and babble about ‘how little time we had’ and ‘the things I do for you’.  
Shadow didn’t piece together the puzzle until Sonic stepped back and he was looking at his own face.  
“-There.” Sonic said breathlessly. Sonic tried to smile but that had been harder to do these days. Shadow looked down at himself as the blue dripped from his quills upon the brown fabric of his cloak. He looked back up at his twin, lost.  
“Sonic?” he questioned, his tone fearful and timid. Sonic avoided his eyes. “What are you doing?”  
“The earliest ticket I could get was around 11’o’clock tomorrow. Just lay low until then and you should be safe.”   
“They’ll- they will kill you, Sonic.”   
“I know.”  
“You can’t do this, Sonic!” Shadow cried, a strange terror filling him. “You can’t.”  
Sonic opened his mouth to reply before both hedgehogs turned to the door, a pounding heard.  
“Open up, King Shadow, in the name of Justice!” a voice of a stranger called and Sonic’s surprisingly cold gaze came to call.  
“They’re here.” was all Sonic said before he pushed Shadow into one of the many closets, drawing his sword.   
Shadow watched in horror among the coats and cloaks as Sonic took on the leaders of the army head on, steel clashing against steel. Shadow gritted his teeth, a familiar and comforting anger filling his cold bones.  
How dare they! Shadow was the king! They couldn’t overthrow him! Sonic couldn’t throw his life away for him, the fool! Shadow moved to burst out and tell them all this, anticipating their cries for forgiveness. Oh, they’d rue the day they turned on him-!  
Sonic saw movement out of the corner of his eye and shot a disapproving look. Shadow stilled, his anger stuttering in his chest.  
That second was all the red wolf opponent needed to get the advantage. In a flash of silver lightning, the blade of her noble sword pressing against ‘Shadow’s vulnerable throat.  
“Surrender, Your Highness.” she snarled and Sonic sneered back something Shadow felt he had said before.   
Go now! Sonic mouthed to Shadow when the wolf’s back was turned. Shadow hesitated.  
He should stay and fight, if not for his birthright to rule, than for his brother! He should be loud, be strong, be fighting-!  
Go Now!  
I’m sorry, his mind responded.   
Shadow ran, shouts carrying after him in surprise and a single sigh of relief.

Sonic’s ears pricked up as the chimes of the old clock tower echoed. His green eyes lifted if but for a moment to look at the barred window of his cell, at the world he had every right, but choose not, to be apart of. Sonic did perhaps deserve this fate, but not over the name he claimed to possess.  
“King Shadow.” Sonic lifted his head, overshadowed by the form of the orange clad red wolf. “It is time.”   
Sonic stood as the cell opened, standing as he knew Shadow would stand, dignified and cold and royal. He may be none of those things but if only for a moment, he must pretend.   
Sonic held his head high as the crowd parted, ears lowering slightly at the angry calls and jeers around him. Sunlight glinted off the guillotine on the stage above. Sonic stared at it, face the epitome of calm. In the reflection of the crowd, he saw mournful red.  
Shadow.

Sonic could not stop himself, turning to catch the sight of his brother. The wolf forced him forward and he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. 

Shadow watched him stumble and let out a silent hiss, pressing forward in the crowd to see him better. Sonic marched on, his steps now hesitant. Shadow shouldn’t be here, Shadow shouldn’t see this, he should be far away and safe, not even thinking of Sonic! And yet...Sonic draws a strange sort of comfort from the knowledge he is there, from the fact one person on this earth will mourn his passing. Sonic lets free a smile, to the horror and fear of the people.They mutter of curses and assassins and paid off guards. Shadow growls at the mutters, hating how Sonic, good, kind, caring, loyal Sonic, faced this crowd and not him. It was not right. It was not.   
The wolf stared over the crowd and Shadow’s breath hitched as their eyes met.   
The echidna rattled on and on about freedom and justice while Shadow silently pleaded with the wolf.  
he’s the only family I have left. Red eyes cried out to orange.  
Her eyes were as orange as the suit on her body and as cold as the silver blade at her hilt. Her eyes seemed to analyze the duo, the weeping brother and his unresistant twin.   
You should have thought of that before you took what was mine. Orange answered in kind.  
The echidna declared the punishment and Shadow let out a sharp cry that was buried by cheers. 

Sonic was forced to his knees, head positioned ready for the cold metal of Justice. He felt his breath grow quicker with fear but he felt...calm. Accepting. He would live as he died; for his king, no, for his brother. Sonic had wanted more out of this life for himself but if the price was his brother, Sonic would forgo the purchase.   
He lifted his eyes to the crowd, searching for red. Apathetic, hatred, joy, satisfaction, relief, despair-! Ah, there he was.  
Shadow stared, as silent as the eager crowd around him, his sorrowful gaze shrouded by his hood. Shadow hoped, prayed, waited for Sonic to pull a last minute trick, weasel himself out of danger like he had in their childhood, when the sunlight was warm and kind and the garden visited by more than just workaholics. He begged Sonic to perform a miracle.  
Sonic sighed. He smiled as comforting and as encouraging as he could at Shadow, hearing the clock chime.  
“It’s Tea time.” he murmured quietly, as hands released the blade over his thin neck.

The crowd remained silent a minute longer and Shadow felt tears bud at his eyes.   
Shadow fell to his knees, a strangled cry pulling itself free from him as the crowd cheered for the death of the wrong man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, could you please leave a comment if you enjoyed this? It helps me get motivation to write!!


	5. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if someone hurt you? Hurt everyone you loved? What if they changed? What if they become a better person? What if everyone forgave them? Could you forgive them?
> 
> Would you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is meant to hurt a friend of mine but enjoy and leave a comment if you liked this.

"This is Finn."  
That's Infinite. Sonic doesn't have to have a brain to know that is Infinite but Gadget has been lugging the jackal around all day and NO ONE seems to realize. Even Gadget seems unaware.   
Sonic stares with barely concealed horror and anger and Infinite- Finn - looks away, single golden eye darting with a recognizable terror.  
He knows. How many times had Infinite caused him pain? Cause him suffering?  
Six. Months. And a few more afterwards.  
But if Gadget's willing to forgive him, fine. Sonic'll play nice.  
"Finn." Sonic repeated, giving a tense smile. He held out a hand, a hand which the jackal flinched and pulled away from.  
Why is he so scared?  
"S-Sorry. He's shy. I'm helping him look for his friends." Gadget apologized on the jackal's behalf.   
Eggman, his brain supplies and Sonic's smile gets tighter. Toxic green meets mismatched eggshell blue and golden yellow.   
Eggshell and gold yields to Toxic.  
Look me in the eyes, you coward. Look me in eyes and tell me you're genuinely sorry. Sorry for everything you've done.  
As if hearing the unspoken demand, the former monster cowers behind Gadget, as if he was the one facing his tormentor, as if he was the one having to treat the ruiner of the world like a friend. Had Infinite no shame?  
"Well. I wish you two luck with that." Sonic replied in a clipped tone of voice. Gadget frowned, confused at the hedgehog's passive aggressive behavior. The younger wolf didn't question him though, leading the murderer of the rookie's own family away by the hand.  
Sonic waited til they were gone to collapse, falling to his knees with a hand on the wall to steady himself.  
His gloved hand was firmly clamped over his mouth as his breath came out in pants.   
Why… why did he do that? Why did he act like that?  
Sonic wasn't… he didn't hold the mistakes of others over them!  
Mistakes? his mind replied. You're acting like Infinite was a murderer on accident. He knew what he was doing.  
S...still! He should've been kinder! What if he was making a change for the better? What if a monster was trying to be a man?  
Sonic had forgiven Eggman!  
Eggman showed signs of reform! Eggman had been… Well, ya know. And what happened than, hm?  
Oh Chaos. The Zombot Apocalypse. All those people….  
That's right. Shadow was right. Sometimes someone showing signs of change is not a sign of change. Some sins can not be forgiven.  
But why was he so angry? So upset? So…  
Scared?  
He hurt us. He hurt our world. He hurt our friends. He took our freedom. Infinite took a hacksaw to everything we love and laughed as it bled.   
Sonic, with a tear stained face, pulled himself to his feet.   
Sonic whipped his eyes and set his heart and face in stone.  
"I won't let you hurt us again." Sonic snarled. "Never again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, pal, before you go read another fic or the next chapter, why not brush your teeth? You're gonna need those later.


	6. Early Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic wasn't always the best brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know it's late, sue me. Anyway, enjoy this and please leave a comment. ILY.

Sonic wasn't brother material. He just wasn't. So why did he take a small two tailed yellow fox under his wing?   
Because someone had to.  
Didn't mean he was good, oh boy, not in the least. Sonic wasn't really used to interacting with people. Let alone take care of a child. But Sonic wasn't a quitter and he was gonna do his absolute best to look out for the little guy.  
Except when Tails was behind him.  
Sonic was fast, really fast. Fastest thing alive, he dare say. Not that he talked a lot. The point was that when Sonic ran, you could go as fast as you can, try as hard as you're able, but you will never, never, catch up.   
Tails learned this the hard way.   
Spikes, robots, water, lava, traps, Tails didn't see it coming, too focused on the trail of blue red sneakers left. Sonic didn't hear Tails’ quiet cries, years of abuse had trained Tails to keep his pain to himself, years of loneliness trained Sonic to not hear.   
Honestly, they would have gone this way forever if not for-

“I know you don't care! You, you just want me gone, just like everyone else! Just-Leave me alone!”   
The small fox pushed past him and Sonic felt awful. He was crying. Sonic the Hedgehog had made a child cry. A child he was supposed to be taking care of no less!   
Maybe Tails needed some al- no. That had started the mess, Sonic giving the kid too much space.   
Sonic followed, brow furrowed with worry and concern.  
He could fix this. Wasn't sure how, but he could.   
He had to.

Sonic's eyes lit up at the sight of yellow fur and he released a sigh of relief and smiled-

“HOHOHOHO!” 

no.   
nononononono-  
Tails struggled to get his small arm free from the large, fat man's meaty hands. The fox snarled and shouted, angry and scared. Sonic felt his ears fall to the back of his head as the small fox fought with every ounce of his small body, to no avail. Robotnick laughed as he struggled, holding Tails way too close to a waterfall and was going way too fast and far too down.

“Ah! Sonic! Good to see you, rat!” Robotnick announced, tearing Sonic's attention away from Tails. Tails’ head shot up and caught Sonic. For a minute, he looked happy, he looked relieved and then-  
The anger was back and Sonic remembered why this was even happening.   
Robotnick was heartless, merciless, he was uncaring of age or strength. He saw Tails as blackmail.  
And by Chaos, it was working.

Give me the chaos emerald.  
I have one of those?  
Who cares?!

Sonic tossed the ruby red jewel at the overweight man, watching as he caught it effortlessly. The small fox let out a small gasp, his brow knitting with confusion. Sonic didn't notice, too busy glaring at Robotnick, the look in his eyes demanding his charge back. Robotnick smiled.  
Robotnick dropped Tails.  
Sonic's eyes widened in horror as the fox fell into the stream and dropped like a stone.  
Sonic felt his voice emerge, small and horse from lack of use.  
It was heart wrenching.

“TAILS!”

Robotnick flew off, ugly laughter like an eel swirling in your stomach the only remainder.  
nonononono, I'm sorry, I messed up, no, please be okay, please, not again, please not aga-

“Sonic?”  
Sonic's head shot up and he became distinctly aware that he was crying.   
If angels were real, then this was the most beautiful one Sonic had ever seen.  
Tails was there, alive, wet and soaked and concerned and confused but 100% alive.  
Sonic found himself on his feet and holding Tails in a minute.  
There was no way he was letting go, not now, not ever.  
Tails’ voice peeped out, quiet and afraid.

“.....I thought you didn't care about me.”  
Sonic shook his head feverishly, nearly crushing the fox in his grip.  
I care. I care. Please don't go, I care. I care.  
“Sonic, you're crushing me.” Tails said, sounding mildly annoyed. Sonic swiftly released him. “Are you okay?”  
Sonic shrugged.  
Who cares?  
Tails frowned. “Maybe we should sit down and talk about this.”  
Soon, they came to a pretty decent agreement; Sonic would slow down for Tails and he would voice his concerns more often.  
“Alright! Let's get that emerald back! Together!”

“Tails.”  
The kit’s ears flicked at the quiet voice and he pulled his head out from the plane’s underbelly.  
“Yeah, Sonic?” Tails questioned. He barely grabbed a box in his free hands. “Wha-! Huh?”  
“You said it was your birthday. You need better running shoes.” Sonic’s explanation came in clipped, almost embarrassed sentences. “Need to keep a better eye on you. Can’t do that if you’re behind me.”  
Tails sat all the way up,opening the box to reveal two sturdy, orange sneakers. He beamed brightly at Sonic, who managed one of his rare real smiles.  
“Thanks, Sonic! This is probably one of the best gifts I’ve ever gotten!” Sonic seemed to beam at Tails’ words.   
“But my birthday was two days ago.”  
Sonic froze before smacking himself with irritation. Tails smiled bashfully, already slipping on the shoes.  
“Thanks though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, don't be like me, okay? Get plenty of sleep!


	7. Heavy is the Head.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is over and the triplets are reunited with their mother.   
> But Mother doesn't always know best, does she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at some point, this went from "hey aleena has some questionable actions in the show, what if shes actually horrible" to "my parents make me feel like a burden but im more worried about my siblings, send help"  
> Petunias = Resentment and Disdain  
> Anywho, enjoy, please leave kudos or a comment.

Sonic fixed the collar of his suit.  
His reflection looked queasy, like it was going to puke from wearing this thing.  
It wasn't far from the truth.  
Another party for victory, for Sonic and his family saving the kingdom of Moubis from destruction. He should be happy. He should be relieved.  
So why did it feel like the world was ending with every second that he sat at a table surrounded by renewed lords and ladies?   
Maybe it was the strange way his so called mother treated him and his siblings, like dolls or toddlers. Maybe it was the too tight suit making him feel like a Christmas ham. Maybe it was the whispering that followed him constantly.  
He was used to rumors, to whispers, to being watched. It had been something he had to deal with since he moved in with his uncle and the Resistance.  
But this? It felt like he was a lamb offered to a hoard of wolves. And his smiling mother was the cruel shepherd. His siblings slipped out of the dinners and parties whenever they pleased but Sonic found himself oddly fixated on by almost everyone around him.  
He tried not to squirm under the pressure of a thousand eyes but he honestly had not thought this would be awaiting him at the end of 7 years of war. He had expected to slip away, explore the planet he lived on, free of Robotnick’s tyranny.   
Not dinner parties. Not false smiles. Not golden plates.  
Ma clinked her glass, drawing his and the room’s attention to her pleasantly smiling face.  
“Thank you,” she said as eyes met hers. “Now, I’m sure you know why we’re here. It’d be hard to miss the absence of a tyrant such as Robotnick.”  
As if on an unspoken cue, the room booed, only silenced by the hollow ringing of Aleena’s laughter.  
“Yes, yes, truly. But now we are free of his evil! Thanks to the diligent work of the Resistance, led by my children and heir to Moubis, Sonic, we will never fear his machines again.”  
Sonic froze.   
Had…..had he heard that right? Sonic, heir of Moubis? That couldn’t be right. His mom was such a stickler for the Oracle’s prophecy and he was like 89% sure it was Council of Four, not Council of Sonic. Aleena wouldn’t ignore the old lizard’s word.  
But she never corrected herself and even repeated it across seven more dinners.  
Finally, finally, everyone went home and the triplets could approach their mother.

“Why do you keep saying I’m your heir?”  
“Oh, because you’re my son, silly.” Aleena giggled, like it was a silly joke or question, before resuming her tea.  
“Manic’s your son too, Mother. Why haven’t you mentioned him?” Sonia questioned in her proud and stubborn tone.   
“Or Sonia, for that matter?” Sonic chimed in, Manic mostly keeping his mouth shut.   
Aleena sighed, shaking her head, before smiling at the trio like they were babies chewing on dog toys or something.  
“Because Sonic is the oldest and next in line.” she said in a voice probably meant to be patient but came off as condescending.   
“Wait, what about the Council of Four and all of that?” Manic finally spoke in substitute of dumbfounded siblings. Aleena smiled at him even stronger.  
“The people aren’t ready for that, I’m afraid, my dears. The government is still so fragile, we can not risk pushing it further so soon.”   
The trio frowned. They still didn’t like it but they supposed no harm done if it was only for a short time. They assumed their queen mother knew better so ...they dropped it.

Big mistake. Sonic was shoved into a bigger, emptier room than his bro and sis. Sonic was given tutors. Sonic was handed a clean white suit and a matching thin crown of silver. Sonic was given a new name, Arthur, a name as shiny and neat as his expected attire.   
His time was being ripped away from old foxes in stuffy rooms with books filled with swimming letters.  
Sonia and Manic had stopped asking if he wanted to do stuff with them and every time he actually could join……...well, he wasn’t getting the vibe he was wanted.   
Aleena frowned at the smiles Sonic lavished to all and any, at the way he didn’t know how to lie to get an advantage, at how he insisted on at least running in the garden. She frowned at how he was Sonic and not Arthur.   
Sonic was trying his best, he really was! He read all the books, quoted all the lines, waved with just the right amount of indifference but it never was enough.   
That, however, did not stop Aleena from announcing the coronation of Prince Arthur in two months time.

“I can’t believe you! You said this was a temporary thing! So that everyone wouldn’t freak!” Sonic raged, throwing his arms up. “This wasn’t the plan! What about Sonia and Manic?! What- what about me? I don’t want to do this prince thing! I want to explore, see the world! I told you this!”  
Sonic had cornered his mother in her office. He stood his ground, frowning at his mother.  
“Do you truly want to leave so badly?” Aleena snapped. “Am I that terrible of a mother to you?!”  
“What?” Sonic sputtered, taken aback. “That’s not what I-!”  
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear your back talk!” Aleena shouted over him. “I have done my best as a mother for you, I gave you the life I always wanted but it’s not enough for you, is it?! Is it?!”  
Sonic panicked, shaking his head. Aleena’s eyes narrowed.  
“So it’s not enough?!”  
“No, no, I meant, no, it is enough!” Sonic cried out, all his anger washed away by fear. “I’m…. I’m sorry, Mom.”  
Aleena sniffled.  
“I don’t want to yell at you, son…… you just pushed me.” Aleena said quietly and fear was replaced with guilt. “I’ve been trying so hard to be a good mother and you……”  
Sonic lowered his eyes to the ground, ears folded back.   
“I’m really, truly sorry, Mom. I'll- I’ll go do some more studying.” he turned to leave his mother’s office when she stopped him once more.  
“Wait. Give me a hug, I can’t let you leave angry.”  
Sonic didn’t want to give her a hug. He stepped into her open arms.  
Aleena sighed as she held him.  
“I forgive you.” she said calmly. Sonic just nodded. “I love you, Arthur.”  
My name is Sonic.  
“Love you too, Mom.”

Sonic liked the garden.  
It was quiet and peaceful and Sonic could choose what happened there and what flowers were planted. He liked choosing. He hadn’t chosen anything in awhile.   
Sonic carefully picked a petunia, admiring its beautiful violet coloring. Sonic exhaled, physically relaxing.   
Why was he still here? He had escaped far worse prisons and left behind far worse people. Nothing was holding Sonic in place but………….  
What would Sonia and Manic think of him if he just left? And while his mother did make him feel awful every time he even thought of not bending to her will or made a mistake, he truly believed she loved him. Her jokes of the triplets needing a therapist when they grew up weren’t excused by this however.  
Sonic didn’t know what to do…  
He startled as someone sat next to him, only to relax upon spying trustworthy red.  
“I didn’t know you were coming, Knuxs.” Sonic murmured to his echidna companion.   
“For the crown prince, You're a hard hog to find, Sonic," Knuckles responded coolily. "Or is it Arthur now?"  
Sonic hated how hearing his own name brought him to tears. Sonic looked away.  
"No, Sonic's perfect," Sonic choked out. "But what are you doing here? My sister hasn't been extremely giggly so I know she doesn't know you're here."   
"Well," Knuckles shrugged. "I actually came to check on you."  
Sonic took a double take before pointing at himself in question.  
"Don't look so surprised, you're my friend too, remember?" Knuckles said nonchalantly before bolting up. "Hey, are you crying?"   
"No!" Sonic sniffled, rubbing his eyes. "It's...it's just some pollen in my eyes, that's all."  
Knuckles snorted in disbelief but didn't voice it.  
They sat in silence for a minute.  
"Ya know, I didn't expect you to be here. Thought you'd be off exploring the world and stuff by now."  
"That was the plan but…."  
"But what?" Knuckles watched Sonic hesitate, reaching to fiddle with a distinctly missing pedant.  
"My mother… she expects me to rule the kingdom after her. My cornation's at the end of next month."   
"Wait, that Crown Prince stuff was the real deal? I thought it was another joke I didn't get."  
"If it is, I don't get it either." Sonic snorted.  
"But what about the Council of Four?" Knuckles questioned.  
"She said...the kingdom wasn't ready for it yet." Sonic quoted bitterly. "Honestly, I don't know why I've stayed so long but I just can't…."  
"Abandon your family and your responsibilities?" Knuckles finished, sympathising. "I get it."  
"Knuckles….." Sonic reached again for his pedant. "If you were in my position, what would you do?"  
"Hmmm…." Knuckles puzzled. "I'd stay."  
Sonic's ears fell back and he nodded, slumping down.  
That was that than.  
"But…i'm not you." Knuckles added. "Sonic, I've never had a life like yours. You're free! You do what you want, when you want to, how you want to. And usually, you help people. You were born free as the wind and to ask you to abandon all of that is just cruel."  
Sonic found his shoulders grabbed firmly by Knuckles.  
"Sonic, if you stay, you'll die," Knuckles stressed. "And I don't care to find out if that's literal or figurative dying."  
Sonic blinked before smiling.  
"Thanks, Knuckle Head."

"Arthur."   
Sonic turned to look up the stairs at his mother. She was smiling brightly.  
"I'm glad you talked with Knuckles. A discussion with such a devout, dutiful, young man is just what your attitude needed."   
She turned and walked to her office.  
"Yeah," Sonic murmured, narrowing bitter eyes on her back. "Really opened up my eyes." 

“Sonic, we gotta talk.” Sonic startled up from the voice, dropping the book he was holding close to his face to read better. He turned to the speaker.  
“Man? Sons? What are you two doing here? I thought Mina had a concert tonight?” Sonic questioned, mentioning the newest member of the band.   
The member that had replaced him.   
The tealish green and bluish purple hedgehogs glanced at each other before slipping, Sonia sitting on Sonic’s bed across from him. Manic closed the door before sitting next to her.  
“You have to get out of here and fast.” Sonia started. Sonic raised an eyebrow.   
“Okay, duh, but why now in particular?” Sonic did a double take. “Manic, what happened to your eye?!”  
Manic blinked, as if he hadn’t realized he had a black eye, and reached up tentatively to the purple bruise. He winced when he touched it.  
“Heh, turns out being royal doesn’t pay, bro.” Manic chuckled.   
“Which relates to why you need to leave.” Sonia interjected, drawing to the initial point of the conversation. “Sonic, there’s talk of someone claiming to be one of Mother’s children, a child she abandoned out of fear.”  
“I believe that,” Sonic snorted. “The Oracle probably mentioned they’d accidentally end the world and she shipped them the river in a little box.”  
“Ha, yeah….” Sonia laughed dryly. “Anyway, they’ve garnered a lot of public support and the people are talking about getting rid of Mother and putting them in charge.”  
“We know you haven’t been able to get out much, Sons, but Ma isn’t exactly the best ruler.” Manic added.  
“That’s what I figured. I’ve been doing my best to make her more aware of everyone else but it seems she didn’t get out much during her years of exile.” Sonic winced. “Guys, I’m-”  
“Sonic Arthur NeedleMouse, if you apologize for our grown mother’s terrible decisions, I will have no choice but to hit you.” Sonia stopped him, her firm voice shutting him up.  
“Dude, we gotta get ya out of here, and before tomorrow.”   
“What… what about Mom?”   
Manic and Sonia stopped.  
“Look, I know she’s not the best person but that doesn’t mean she has to die!” Sonic urged.   
The two other hogs glanced at each other, clearly torn.   
Aleena treated them like dirt compared to Sonic, which was saying something, so Sonic couldn’t and didn’t hold the hesitance against them.   
“....Fine,” Sonia finally snarled. “But we won’t tell her of the rebellion. We’ll just drag her out the night of.”  
“Okay,” Sonic nodded. “Should I pack or anything?”  
Manic thought for a minute.  
“Wear your running shoes.” 

The castle burned and Sonic hadn’t felt as alive as he did in this moment in a year.  
Aleena gasped as she ran, desperately trying to keep up and failing miserably. Manic cackled as he flew over a plume of flame, Sonia scolding him as she dove under it, barely not getting Manic’s X-Board rammed into her face.   
The halls echoed with the angry yet triumphant cries of the citizens and Aleena can not help but gape at the preparedness and disdain her children show to this situation.  
It’s not right, they should be sad, angry, confused, guilty, anything but whatever this was causing them to laugh as they danced through the flames.   
Arthur released Aleena from his grip as soon as they were clear, the now ex-queen noticing his more suited for travel attire.  
Arthur, Sonia, and Manic chartered excitedly, the words blurring in Aleena’s ears as she stood. She turned and watched as her home burned.  
“W-We have to go back!”  
The triplets stopped and turned to her. She tried to draw herself up to her full queenly glory but she was wearing silk pj’s and was clearly distraught and her quills were a disaster.  
“That is our- your- home! That is your birthrate they are stealing from you! Only you can lead this country to its complete glory!”  
They stared at each other for a minute.   
“You mean me.” Aleena started at Arthur’s quiet but defiant voice. “You could care less about Manic and Sonia.”  
“That place was never our home,” Sonia agreed. “And even if it was, it’s not worth dying for.”  
Aleena motioned frantically to the castle.   
“It is a symbol! A symbol of Moubis!” she sputtered.   
“You want the three of us to fight an angry mob for a symbol?” Manic questioned, making her feel silly with how he phrased it.  
“No! Yes. You’ve fought worse!” Aleena spat out. Sonia’s eyes narrowed.   
“We fought for people, not a fancy castle that was cold and unfriendly.” Sonia shoot right back. “We fought for freedom, not walls.”  
Aleena gritted her teeth. Why were they not listening? Why were they talking back? Why were they so disobedient?  
“It is your brother’s right to rule! Why are you holding it from?!” Aleena cried.  
“What if I don’t want to rule?” Arthur’s voice came like a cold gust of wind, green eyes narrowed into toxic slits. “You never thought to ask me that, did you?”  
“Oh, and what did you have in mind for your future?” she demanded, hating how Arthur smiled at the question.  
“I want to travel the world and help everyone I can.” he said cheerfully. “I want to live my life to the fullest in the time I have.”  
“And how in the world, are you going to do that, hm?” Aleena said. She had lost control. She was spiraling. She was lashing out.  
“Well,” Arthur said in fake contemplation. “I can start by leaving.”  
And without another word, he turned and walked away. Aleena’s eyes widened.  
“W-Wait! Where are you going?!”  
Manic turned after a minute, following his older brother by three and a half minutes.   
Aleena turned panicked eyes to a merciless Sonia.  
“If you want your castle,” the younger spoke to the older. “You’ll have to fight for it yourself.”  
High boots turned on their heels, leaving the hedgehog woman in the field with silken pajamas.   
“No, stop, come back! You- you don’t understand, it’s not done, please!” she cried out to her unrepentant children.  
“Sonia! Manic! Arthur! Please!” Aleena called out frantically to them before resorting to a name she despised.  
“SONIC!”

But it is hard to call the wind home when the wind has none but the open sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, amigo! it's 3:39 am right now! i shouldn't be up! this is unhealthy! if you wanna be better than some teen on the internet; one, sleep in pjs, 2; go to bed at a reasonable time, 3; dont compare yourself to teens on the internet. anyway, til next chapter, love you. 
> 
> please leave a comment or kudos.


	8. Guac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, listen, me and some friends came up for a sequel to Sonic Movie and honestly, its not pretty. i might write a sequel to describe how messed up we made it.  
> for now, enjoy Sonic '06 2: Electric Boogaloo. so yeah also spoiler alert for the Sonic Movie 2020

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if this is too much for you, just skip ahead. It's important to know your limits and what your comfort zone is! Me, I get really anxious if there are characters in a group that dont get along. It's all fine and good!
> 
> Hey, feel free to leave a kudos and/or comment! Love you!

He's coming. He's coming and he's coming and he's almost here.  
Sonic flips the ring, mind flashing through locations, before he started pushing them in, Maddie almost dropping Tails at his shove.  
Tom hopped through with a practiced ease before tugging Maddie along.  
Robotnick's laughter sank its teeth into Sonic's back and he leapt into the fading ring.

Something hit him right in between the shoulders and Sonic flailed, suddenly unable to breath.  
He landed hard, gasping, tightening his already weak grip on his last ring.  
He heard the others cheering as if they were miles away.  
Then suddenly it was quiet.  
".....Sonic?.....Sonic!"   
The quiet was gone as fast as it came. There were voices, familiar voices clambering over each other, all as panicked as can be.  
Someone was holding his hand but his vision swam, keeping him from telling who.  
"Sonic, it's gonna be okay, you're okay, alright, buddy?"  
Tom. Donut Lord was always so worried about him.   
"Sonic, Sweetie, keep your eyes open, I'm going to need to carry you, just stay awake, please, sweetheart-"  
Pretzel Lady was one step ahead of Tom, as usual. It was why she was the best vet ever.  
"What's wrong with him, Mr. and Mrs. Wachowski?! Why's he lying like that?!"  
Tails. Tails. Oh no.   
Sonic could hear the sounds of machinery in the distance.  
In the distance, but not far.  
"You...you need to go," Sonic croaked out, eyes fluttering open and shut and open again. "He's coming…."  
"No! We are not separating, alright?!"  
"Please," Sonic cried. "Egghead, he'll, he'll get you guys, he'll hurt you, all of you."  
What about you, young man?!"  
"It's….I was too slow this time, guys," Sonic weakly chuckles out. "Sorry."  
Their voices clamber once more but all Sonic can truly hear is the sound of a pod of eggs.  
"Tails," he gasps. "Buttnick, he'll hurt Tails."  
The hand holding his paw stills and he can feel the two being torn between their choices. So he decides to do what a certain someone did for him. Make it for them.  
"When...when we get home, we should have some guac, yeah?" Sonic says suddenly.  
The hand tightens on his, and he can actually see Maddie nodding.  
Tom knows however.  
He smiles at them, almost sorry.  
Almost.  
He flicks the last, sole ring in between their legs, imagining his room.  
The three fall through, the shock pulling the hand easily out of Sonic's weak grip.  
He reaches for it, before remembering to make it easy on Tom, Maddie, and Tails.  
He's alone, terrified and tired.   
But they're safe, right? And Eggman can't do anything to him if he's dead, right?   
A shadow passes over head and Sonic is too delirious to understand what it means.  
He reaches for it, a name slipping out before he could stop.  
"Longclaw…….."

With a final sigh, his hand falls to the side, green eyes seeing nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and/or Kudos. It keeps me motivated.


	9. Hold Me Tight Or Don't.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the second part of the Movie Sonic thing! not as death heavy as the last one but stuff is alluded to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Listen to me. Things can feel bad, yes. you can work hard, you can get sad and tired and angry, but listen to me.  
> never take it out on the people you love. ever. even if you never touch them, theyll remember your anger and the way you forced people to hang out with angry. they will remember and when you are sad or angry and they dont want to talk to you, you will remember why.  
> i'm sorry things are bad. im sorry if someone takes their anger out on you. but that is not an excuse to scream at someone else. Note that im not saying that being angry is bad.  
> its human and you cant help but you can help with what you can do with it.  
> regardless, remember that people love you. 
> 
> that out of the way, enjoy this fic! please leave a comment or/and kudos! love you!

Blue sparks filled the room, crackling and flashing as if they were alive.  
But it’s only an illusion, only a simulation of what once was.  
A voice echoed in the blue tanged dark room.  
"As you can see here, all I need to do is stimulate his cells and his body just makes the stuff! Who cares if he's brain dead, he'll live on with an actual purpose; a battery for someone else to use."  
And as if on cue, there was a weight in his arms, small and cold and frail, endless and endless cords attached to it.

So small, so young. Finally free until said freedom and life was so cruelly wretched from gloved paws.  
Somewhere, a child was screaming at someone, yellow blaming red while crimson laughed.  
And yet, Tom focused only on blue. 

“Keanu is a national treasure.”  
“Yeah, we’re best friends!”  
“What’s a bucket list?”  
Ugh, Maaaaaaddddiiiiiieeee, Tom’s telling bad jokes again!”  
“Thanks, Tom. For saving me.” 

Animated words that no longer fit on the silent tongue they were once spoken on.  
Tom was frozen in place. He was too late. It was too late, and as he heard Maddie scream and Tails cry and Knuckles beg, he knew it was too late for that too-

Tom woke up with a start, panting.  
With a groan, he rested his sweaty palms on his tear stained face.  
Not that dream again!  
Well, he didn’t need sleep anyway and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he checked on a certain occupant of the house.  
Tom sat up, glancing over to his beautiful sleeping wife, noting while she did not toss and turn, her sleep was not peaceful.

Maybe he should look into therapy for all of them.

He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, rolling out of bed. Tossing a shirt on, he stumbled in the moon lit house towards the attic.  
As Tom passed the living room, he noted Knuckles was sleeping on the floor again. Tom sighed but decided to leave him be tonight.  
The echidna knew the Wachowskis and Tails held no hard feelings for his involvement in their latest…. Adventure and yet, went out of his way to try to atone for it.  
Tom frowned. Eggman, as the mad scientist went by now, had hurt many children this time.  
Tails fortunately was on the couch, curled up next to Ozzy. He nodded before carrying on his late night ritual.

The stairs to Sonic’s room were already down, Tom having pulled them down in case the thirteen year old had a nightmare.  
Ha. Ironic.  
Tom quietly stepped up into the higher room, holding his breath. The decoration lights weren’t plugged in that night, leaving the only light as the moon.  
The moon and a blue glow coming from Sonic’s bed.  
Tom’s breath hitched and he tried not to run over to the race car bed. He failed.  
He let out a sigh of relief as he spied the light blue emerald in the young hedgehog’s grasp.  
They only found six of the miracle gems but six was enough.  
He smiled softly before realizing something.

Someone else was in here.

Tom’s hand found Sonic’s baseball bat, blue human eyes meeting blue bird eyes.  
It was silhouetted by the moon’s light, its shadow falling the hedgehog slumbering peacefully.  
“Are you this boy’s guardian?” it asked in a voice remnant of a school teacher about to reprimand her students.  
Tom thought of all the times Sonic had almost called him dad and of the one time he actually did, all of them their usual blue with one as shimmering gold, and nodded.  
“Pity.” the huge owl tsked, stepping closer to Sonic.Tom’s heart pounded but he remained on his side of the racecar bed. “Explains how such a fate fell upon him.”  
“Hey, I’m doing the best I can.” Tom retorted, a sharp lump in his throat.  
“If you were doing your best, I wouldn’t have been able to find you.” she, or at least, Tom thought she was a she, reached out a claw to touch Sonic. She winced, pulling it back when Tom smacked it away with the bat.  
“Get away from my son.” Tom snarled. The owl raised a brow, an unfamiliar emotion in her eyes.  
“Your son?” she questioned.  
“Yes,” Tom said as confident as possible. “My son who I’m not going to force or run for the rest of his life. Ten years were more than enough.”  
“Running and hiding kept him alive!”  
“No, he survived!”  
“What’s the difference?! It didn’t kill him!”  
“It would have! He would have survived, then gone crazy, then died. Alone, young, and scared.”  
That seemed to shut up the owl.  
“He was alone on Earth for ten. Years. He’s a child and he didn’t have any sort of life.” Tom cried, surprised the hedgehog had slept through this. “No one cared about him or knew he was there! That’s no life.”  
“.........” the owl looked down at Sonic, eyes covered in surprising sorrow. “No. I suppose it isn’t.”  
With a furrow of her great wings, she propelled herself up and out of the window.  
The sudden wind finally woke Sonic, the teen rolling to face Tom.  
“Tom?” he murmured groggily. “What are you doing up here?”  
“Just checking on you.” Tom said after a moment, deciding against telling Sonic of his late night visitor. “Go back to sleep.”  
“Oh, okay,” Sonic yawned, lying and curling back up. “Night, Dad.”  
Tom’s heart melted like snow in the sun.  
“Good night, Sonic.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment and/or kudos please.


	10. Parasite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hahahahaha, Sonic's an alien, hahaha.   
> so is Shadow, haha. be a shame if their respective spaces were.....  
> enemies.........>:3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BRUSH! YOUR! TEETH!
> 
> also leave a comment and/or a kudos, love you.

There was always something about Sonic.  
Like an alarm ringing under several blankets.  
He remembers meeting the blue 'hog and thinking, I don't like him. I don't trust him.  
At the time, that was fine. Normal. Acceptable.   
But they're on the same side now. They're, if not friends, rivals.  
Shadow's body shouldn't be screaming every time they're near.   
And it was worse when they fought during the invasion.   
It was like every sense in his body was going off.   
It had made sense at the time, he had had more enemies than friends. Add that to his annoying lack of memory and Sonic's own annoying attitude and it made for a pretty hostile hedgehog.  
But that was behind them now, they trusted each other, they relied on each other. Shadow shouldn't have to restrain himself from actually hurting the other while sparring.

What was wrong with him?

Shadow glanced over to his companion, noting the way Sonic was rubbing his eyes, dark eye bags blending in with blue fur.  
"What's wrong with you?" He asked with as much concern as he could muster.  
"Huh?" Sonic looked up, as if he forgot Shadow was there, before shaking his head. "Nothing. Just...had a nightmare?"  
"Hmph. You don't sound sure of that." Shadow snarked.  
"Well, it wasn't exactly bad, per say." At Shadow's curious nod, he went on. "It was just, I was running, but I wasn't scared, I was happy. But for some reason, I could tell that was a bad thing. And plants were growing everywhere I went but that was bad too. There was no one around and……"  
Sonic shook his head before smiling at the artificial hedgehog.  
"But enough about my dumb nightmare. My birthday's coming up and I was wondering if you were gonna come to my surprise party."  
"Surprise party?" Shadow raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know about this?"  
"Tails can't hide anything from me. I'm his big bro after all!" Sonic chuckled. "It's my sixteenth, reaaal important."   
"Why?"  
"I don't know. It just is. I'll wake up, still fifteen, than at noon, BOOM! Sixteen."  
"Noon?"  
"I was born at noon."  
"How do you know?"  
"I just do."  
"You seem certain of a lot of things you don't know."  
"Well, you're stupid."  
".......that was a terrible comeback."  
"Yeah, yeah…."  
They both stood there for a minute, enjoying the quiet peace that the world had for just this moment.  
"Race ya to that tree!"  
"Hmph." Shadow shook his head. The hedgehog couldn't stay still for long. Why was Shadow even worried about him? "You're on."

"Well, gang, that's one more emerald in this easter egg hun-" Sonic had been bending down to pluck up a shimmering red chaos emerald when noon hit.   
It had been an eventful birthday, not that Shadow had celebrated many, but Eggman had shown up with an evil plan to destroy the rest of the moon with a chaos emerald powered bomb or something like that.  
Shadow was too on edge to pay attention. He'd woken up agitated and being at the party, being around Sonic, had made it worse.  
But this? This was making his head feel like it was going to explode.  
Something's wrong.  
Tails tilted his head, unsure why his brother had suddenly gone quiet.   
"Sonic?" he questioned, tails twitching as he approached the older hedgehog. Shadow flinched as he did so and he could feel Rouge looking at him but he didn't care because Sonic was straightening up and watching it was like watching Sonic's heart, his pride, his carefree spirit, his devil-may-care attitude, everything that made Sonic Sonic, unravel and melt away to reveal something quietly sinister and blank.  
Tails reached out to Sonic and Shadow had to do something.  
"Don't touch him!" He practically screamed out and Tails turned to look at him, but it was too late, the kit's hand was on his shoulder and it seemed to activate the hedgehog.  
A tense of the muscles was all the warning Tails got before he found himself flying, Knuckles catching him.  
There was a dusty foot print on Tails' white chest and Shadow surged forward, because he was right and wrong all at the same time, something was, had been, is wrong and no, it can't be just Shadow.  
Sonic moves smoothly and Shadow can see his face and the wrongness increases because he's seen Sonic smile and it has never looked like that.  
And since were his eyes red?  
Knuckles joins the assault, confused but angry, but it's like fighting the win.  
Sonic lets out a laugh and it's somehow completely emotionless and Shadow realizes he's toying with them.  
"Stop!" He calls out to the echidna and the guardian only stops out of surprise.   
It's a standstill for a moment, two reds staring at one blue.  
Sonic's wrong smile grows by two inches and then he's gone.  
Shadow curses and races after the hedgehog.  
Rouge immediately takes flight, leaving two thirds of Team Sonic behind.  
"Shadow!" She calls out, barely keeping up, and Shadow automatically slows down. "Hun, what's going on?!"  
What is going on? This felt familiar, but in a second hand way, like something he read in a book or saw in a movie or was told to him-

Shadow and Black Doom walked down the destroyed street, screams of alien and human origin ringing out in the distance.  
The hivemind buzzed in the back of Shadow's head like a remembered song and he half listened to it, half listened to Doom.  
Doom was talking about how this was a 'mercy' for the lifeforms on planet Earth. Even in Shadow's vengeful, half feral state, the hedgehog didn't agree.  
"We are far more merciful than other species this planet might face. We simply consume a portion of the population. We are straight forward about our intentions. We do not sneak in the shadows or hide among the sheep. Not like those others, not like the Schlafmittel."  
"Schlafmittel?" Shadow questioned, his curiosity piqued.  
"Those wretched cowards." Black Doom snarled, his eyes narrowing. "They are the reason we must search for food among the stars. A race of spies and cowards, they are. They send their children in disguise to planets, allow them to grow and spread their roots before when they reach sixteen years of human life, they activate."  
"Activate?" Shadow asked.  
"Yes. Until that moment where they are 16 earth years, they believe the lie themselves. But once they are sixteen, they are suddenly aware. The Schlafmittel knows only conquest. They will destroy anything and everything in sight in order to gain another planet as territory. Even their own."  
“Their own? Surely not.”  
"Yes. In our hive, all are one. With those vile beasts, they care not for the children they cast aside. The parasite dies with its lifetime home, unaware it caused its own doom and only aware of the pain."  
"How….horrifying….."  
"Yes. That's why if you find one, you must kill it. Otherwise, it will kill you."

Shadow blinked, the memory still floating in his mind eye.  
"Sonic….I don't think he's a hedgehog." He shakily told Rouge. The ground shook and Rouge looked to see what appeared to be a spaceship made of some form of plant life.   
"No kidding." She breathed. Shadow gasped and picked up the pace.  
"We have to stop him," Shadow told her, hating himself for what he was saying. "With any….any means necessary."  
If Rouge wasn't sure of his meaning, the spear forming in his hand assured it. She stared at him, clearly unsure before nodding.  
“I’ll keep those two off your back.” she said softly. She flew back and out of Shadow’s line of sight.  
Shadow turned his eyes to what he assumed was what Sonic- the Schlafmittel- was going to use to terraform the Earth. As he slid down the now enormous crater, Shadow quietly prayed.  
Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong.

And then Shadow found it hard to breath. There was a gas leaking out of the pod, strange looking grass sprouting around them. The pod towered over him, the only thing recognizable was the emerald attached to it.   
Huh. it must need a power source. Shadow looked around. Sonic wasn’t in sight.   
Maybe….. He could just take the emerald. Maybe he didn’t have to kill one of his first friends. Maybe Sonic had only to start the process. Maybe….   
Shadow reached for the emerald, jumping away as a blur dashed in between him and his goal.  
“Sonic……..” he breathed out, eyeing the opposite hedgehog up and down. Sonic didn’t react beyond that initial appearance to him, still giving that glass eyed creepy smile. Shadow tightened his fists, the spear still fizzing and glowing in his hand. “Please don’t make me do this.”  
Sonic didn’t move a muscle. Shadow would have to make the first move.   
So he did.  
Shadow charged, eyes trained on the emerald behind him. Sonic got in his way, all speeding fists and kicks.  
Shadow had to apply a combination of ducking and diving to evade the wayward ‘hog’s attacks.  
It was when Sonic managed to push him back, send him stumbling away, not even chasing after him, devoid of emotion or agency, did he realize two things.  
1\. The air and the plantlife was spreading.   
2\. Sonic was nothing more than a puppet, at least, a mask of someone Shadow was expected to trust. To trust and to fail to. 

Shadow couldn’t let that happen.  
As much as Shadow cared for Sonic, he had made a promise. He made a promise to protect this planet.  
The Schlafmittel- because that’s what it was, don’t think about afternoon races and bets and half eaten chili dogs, don’t think about little fox brothers and sweet pink hedgehogs or grumpy guardians, don’t think - didn’t seem to react to things from a distance. He could probably throw a chaos spear and retrieve the emerald with ease.   
As Shadow aimed, he heard voices.  
They were coming, and if he wanted to do this in a way with minimal casualties, he had to do it now.  
Tails burst through the fog and Shadow threw the spear and Sonic looked up at him, eyes clearing for the barest second-

Shadow removed the emerald, watching as the sky cleared. 

What happened next, was out of Shadow’s hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment and/or a kudos


	11. Guest Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, here is the Sonic Forces Sega was too afraid to give you.  
> do basically, Zero did nothing wrong, the gang never got the chance to save Sonic and half way through the 'game', the face of their foe changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life is hard. It's hard then you're dead. But that doesn't mean it's not worth it. Life, despite the sucky moments, is always worth it. there is always something good waiting for you. 
> 
> Please leave a comment or/and a Kudos, por favor!

“-And then none shall stand in my way!'' Eggman cried, already assured in his victory. To be fair, a week ago, he would’ve been right. But as of now? Now, he seemed as a tyrant trying desperately to hold onto his rule.   
Infinite followed behind, a single golden eye trailing after the mad doctor.   
“Are you certain this plan-” the jackal went to say when he stopped suddenly.  
Infinite stumbled, a bleary blink, a wheezing sigh. The jackal turned his head slowly, flexing his fingers, watching them in dissatisfaction.   
“............I suppose you have earned a rest, my sweet nothing,” he seemed to murmur to himself before turning to Eggman. “I will require…. a upgrade. Would you’d be bothered if I borrowed your little, pathetic, blue savior?”  
“I promise to return him in good condition.”

Sonic counted the floor tiles again, ears up to listen for any ‘visitors’ or any of the tell tale signs of nightmares to come.  
He allowed himself a moment of silence, a moment for his weary eyes to slide closs and wonder why, why, had no one come for him? They knew he was alive now. They knew he was in Eggman's 'care'.  
Did they simply not care?   
He understood, he really did, they were in a war after all, but Sonic was still hurt.  
He thought they would help him, like he would help them.   
But his friends were far smarter than him, they weren't as brash or implusive or foolish or stupid as him.  
He'd probably be rescued by the end of the war.  
If he was still alive.

The clicking of heels against metal was heard and Sonic's head shot up, once more on high alert.  
"Good….." Infinite's purr wraps around Sonic and suffocates him. "Your hearing is still in good condition. I was worried it had deteriorated from the silence to screaming to back again."  
Sonic glared at the masked menace. He refused to give this monster the dignity of a response.  
Infinite tilt his head. With a wave of a hand and a dark chuckle, the blue rays keeping Sonic trapped in the cell distapacted. Sonic’s quills rose as Infinite stepped into the small cell, the rays appearing back again.  
Trapping him with the monster.   
“Still defiant, I see. Good! A strong spirit means a strong body and I am in need of one of those.” Infinite cooed out, leaning forward to caress Sonic’s bloody and bruised face. Sonic felt a chill at the analyzing stare and pulled his face away from the sharp claws grazing it.  
“If you think I’m gonna help ya-!” Sonic growled out. Infinite silenced him with a full laugh.   
“I do not require your help, only your body,” Infinite laughed out, standing. He rubbed Sonic’s ear as he stood, pinching and bendin it, watching blood drop from the marks left behind. Sonic winced. “And you do not have a choice.”  
“What… what are you-?!” Sonic barely managed to say before Infinite’s hand moved to his throat and slammed him against the wall.  
Sonic yelped and struggled, Infinite using his free hand to cast off the metal mask, the mask making a loud thud as it hit the ground. Sonic realized that Infinite…  
...Was crying.  
The jackal ignored the tears streaming down his face and moved his hand to the humming jewel at his chest, removing it with a pained hiss.   
Sonic squirmed and struggled, all snapping teeth and flaring quills and aggressive and frightened hisses, but it was all for nothing as in minutes, the Phantom Ruby found itself finding a home on Sonic’s chest.  
Sonic screamed, his voice reaching a volume it never had before, the jewel’s glow rising in time with the pitch.   
Then the hedgehog and the jackal dropped and all was quiet. 

Infinite rose slowly from the cold, metal floor, blue quills shaking with panted breaths.  
The jackal remained on the floor, curling up into a ball, sobbing.  
“Oh, how fascinating!” Infinite said gleefully, a cruel smile spreading on a broken face. “Oh, yes, this pitiful, pathetic, blue savior will do nicely.”  
The hedgehog called out to his illusions guarding the cell and the blue chains holding the hedgehog’s wrists and legs in place disappeared.  
“You…. you monster…” gasped out the crumpled jackal, watching as Infinite stretched on stolen legs. The hedgehog laughed again, skipping over to him.   
“I don’t think you have room to talk, my sweet nothing,” Infinite purred, aiming a well placed kick into his stomach. “Infinite.”  
“No,” cried out the jackal, covering his now bruising stomach. “I’m…. My name is Zero. I’m not Infinite, I’m Zero. I didn’t… I wouldn’t…”  
Infinite laughed, picking back up the metal mask, easing it on his face. It didn’t fit perfectly but he’d adjust it later.  
“Ah, I will miss you, my sweet nothing. Do not worry, I am not done with you but now this pathetic excuse of a hero needs a bit of fresh air, hm?”

Infinite walked out, leaving a sobbing wreck of a jackal in the cell behind him. 

Eggman stared across the table at the blue hedgehog.  
“S..Sonic?” the oversized megalomaniac questioned nervously. Infinite chuckled at his confusion before tapping the Phantom Ruby on his chest, shaking his head.

“No. Call me Infinite.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment or/and a Kudos


	12. I don't wanna know who I am, 'Cause heaven only knows what I'll find.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, I took these and the Sonic Chaos Emerald Theory and ran. Bonus points to me for not finishing and posting this at midnight.   
>  \------------  
>  |  
>  |  
>  |  
>  \/  
> https://lesbianblixer.tumblr.com/post/185261943179/so-i-have-a-headcanon-that-sonic-has-only-barely  
> https://lesbianblixer.tumblr.com/post/185283203679/aaaaaand-heres-a-better-look-at-this-rainbow-goth  
> https://deldiztmblr.tumblr.com/post/188656999890/httpswwwyoutubecomwatchv-wnpcks8advm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Listen, I'm being a major hypocrite but try and get some sleep, okay? Sleep is very important.
> 
> remember to please leave a comment or/and a kudos! I love you all dearly!

Sonic couldn't move. It hurt. Everything hurt and his head pounded like a timer in his brain, a timer that had gone off too soon.  
Ten years. He was promised ten more years. Yes, they had said it with pity in their voices, pity that one so immortal, so powerful, so them had to live ten more years amongst such….strange mortals.  
But he was mortal! This was his home, his world, his life! He saw so many colors, so many people he'd never would seen as he should have been.  
They would have had him be idle, be still, waiting, watching, but he lived, he ran, Sonic saw more in fifteen years than they had in thousands and thousands of years.  
They being, well, the other Chaos Emeralds.  
Yup, the one and only blue blur was a Chaos Emerald.  
Only a baby one though. He hadn't 'accomplished his divine task and shed his mortal form to become something more, something perfect, something truly Chaotic.' Ugh.  
Sonic had been fine with it. I mean, he thought he had ten more years before the monster he had been called into existence to fight would arise.  
Ten years to live.  
Ten years to say goodbye.  
And Eggman had taken them from him in an instant.  
He should have expected it. Eggman had forced almost everything powerful into an early wakeness. Why would his appointed foe be different?  
Sonic hissed in pain, curling up tightly on the dirt.  
He thought he could prolong it. Draw out the inevitableness of what he came to see as his own death. He was supposed to wrap this up as fast as he could, toss aside any illusion he might have put up to hide.  
He didn't.  
'Let's race for the Emeralds!' Sonic suggested cheerfully, the only one truly aware of the threat this monster posed. They had agreed and Sonic had done his best to make good memories with everyone he cared about, he loved.  
Yes, he was praying the Master Emerald would grant him those ten years but he wasn't certain and he wasn't leaving his friends and family without making sure they knew he loved them.  
But the emeralds were impatient to 'save' their own so…  
They took him over. Forced their will upon them. Made him…. Theirs.  
He woke up, tired and confused. He ran, he wanted to explain, to say goodbye, please let him say goodbye-  
He felt a pulling and then he was gone.  
They were dragging him away. Pulling him to Angel Island, where it would decided if he would form into an emerald or become sentient energy in the Master.  
He didn't want either of those.  
They pulled him and for the first time, he pulled back.  
Which was how he got here, crumpled on the ground, wheezing.  
Without Chaos, he is nothing. Not fast, not alive, nothing.  
And yet.  
It's his choice, his decision, he's not waiting for any one's permission and that has always been his favorite kind of decision.  
Sonic glances up through watering eyes.  
A watery version of himself leered overhead.  
Ah. That would explain the horrible sensation of splitting apart.  
The Chaos leaned down.  
"We are separated."  
"Yeah, no duh." Sonic choked out.  
"We must go to the Master Emerald."  
"No."  
"No?"  
"No."  
The Chaos tilted its head but its face showed no emotion.  
"But why?"  
"This is our home!" Sonic wheezed, forcing himself into a sitting position.  
"It was our test. And though we took our time, we passed." The Chaos responded, as if 15 years were nothing.  
As if Sonic's life was nothing.  
"Now we must-"  
"NO!"  
The Chaos frowned now and it was another reminder of how different he felt from the emeralds. They didn't remember being alive.  
"Then we will die. Without Chaos, we are nothing."  
"I am alive!" Sonic managed to scream out. "I am alive and I am free and I am not giving everything I love up to be a stupid rock that sits around waiting to be used to save the world! I don't care what the Master Emerald wants or what Chaos says or what any of this actually means for me!"  
The Chaos stepped back and Sonic didn't notice it wasn't looking at him anymore.  
"I don't care if I die! This is what I love, this is my home, those people are my family! I love them more than life itself and I won't ever leave them for long."  
"Sonic?"  
Sonic hissed. Tails. Shoot. Probably Knuckles too.  
Sonic forced himself to his feet, swaying as he faced his little brother.  
"Sonic!" Tails cried in horror, racing over just in time to catch him as he fell. "Sonic, what happened?! You… you disappeared and, and, Sonic, what happened to your fur, to your eyes, who is that?!"  
"Oh," Sonic said, leaning heavily on the two tailed fox. "That's, uh, my chaos energy. Which is why I'm so drab compared to my usual cool blue self."  
"We must rejoin the Master." The Chaos said, its voice carrying a hint of annoyance.  
"What master?" Tails questioned.  
"No master. No one's the master of meeEEE-!" Sonic yelped as he could definitely feel one of his organs kick the bucket.  
"That was our kidney failing." The Chaos said and, oooo, Sonic had never wanted to hit himself more.  
"Failing?! Sonic, what's wrong with you?!"  
"Oh, ya know, I'm not really supposed to have no chaos energy in my body, fine in all for some people, especially humans, but me? Yeah, causes my body to collapse." Sonic chuckled weakly. "Finally found something I couldn't outrun."  
The Chaos didn't blink.  
"We will live if we do as we must."  
"Yeah, no thanks."  
"Sonic, you're dying! What are you supposed to do?!"  
Sonic swallowed back the bile in his throat and turned to look away at the Master Emerald. It glistened in the sunlight, bright and beautiful. Smug.  
"I have to leave." Sonic said with a shudder in his voice. "Leave you guys, leave this planet, this life. I can't do that. I won't. I've run from this as much as I can but if the only way to escape is to die? Fine."  
"Sonic, don't talk like that!" Tails wailed and Sonic felt awful for dragging his brother into this. He's eight and he's going to lose his older brother. It's not fair!   
Sonic's legs are starting to feel numb but he forces himself to stand up straight.  
"Look at him." Sonic commands the Chaos, pointing to Tails. The Sonic shaped blob energy looks away. Sonic grits his teeth and screams, "LOOK AT HIM!"  
Tails flinches at Sonic's volume but it does the trick, because liquid emerald meets baby blue. Sonic shakes now, yelling took a lot out of him.  
"That's our brother, your brother, and you want to leave him? Who'll take care of him? Hm, oh Wise One?" Sonic panted.   
"One of the others will take care of him." The Chaos answered, but was that a tremor in its voice, some hesitance? "The fox will live his life and we will fulfill our destiny."  
"You don't get it, do you?" Sonic pulled away from Tails, the kit watching in growing wordless terror. "I'm. Not. Going. They wanted chaotic? Fine. I'm chaotic. Sorry that it's not in their favor."   
"We are being incredibly selfish."  
Sonic went to retort but, like his organs had been for the ten past minutes, his legs gave out.  
Strong and sturdy arms caught him with ease, shifting him into a surprisingly comfortable position.  
Knuckles stared down at him, face taunt and white as paint. Sonic blurrily blinked up at him before the guardian looked away, facing the Chaos.  
"Being selfish is what Sonic does." Knuckles said in an almost emotionless voice. "He saves the world because he wants to meet all the people living their lives, because he finds fighting fun, because he enjoys fighting with his friends. His love of the world and freedom is as selfish as can be, and yet, not selfish at all."  
Sonic huffed at that, but found himself too tired to protest.   
The Chaos stared at him, looked at Tails, at Knuckles.  
"...But…!" The Chaos looked confused, like a child realizing their parent lied or was wrong. "Even with all this, our destiny, our family-!"  
Sonic couldn't speak but he didn't need to because another watery form was rising over Sonic's Chaos.  
'We are not your family.' Chaos itself said, its tone almost mournful. 'You found your place and family here, as Sonic.'  
The Chaos stared up at Chaos.  
Relief washed over the watery Sonic's face, letting free a sigh that it sounded like it had been holding for years.  
Sonic's Chaos turned back to the trio and Sonic's sight was beginning to darken but he didn't care, he was free…!  
"Give him to me." Sonic's Chaos said to Knuckles. Knuckles hesitated for a second, pulling Sonic closer, but slowly handed Sonic over, the sensation of warm flesh to cold energy a little jarring.  
He stirred, his Chaos shifting him in its arms to make sure it didn’t drop him.  
Sonic forced his eyes open. The Chaos stared down.  
“We’re going home,” The Chaos said, looking up at Tails and Knuckles. “Our real home.”  
Home. Sonic couldn’t understand why that word made him so happy.  
He couldn’t help it, he started laughing and wrapped his arms around his Chaos.   
The Chaos froze for a moment before joining in his laughter, Its face looking so purely Sonic right down to the bright grin on it, tightening its grip on its living half.   
They spinned around, their shared relief and happiness spilling out until-  
And then there was one.  
Sonic stood there, uncertain if everything just happened had happened. He looked over to his family.  
Tails’ face was split with a grin and Knuckles looked as equally content as Sonic felt.  
Sonic looked back to Chaos, the water deity already headed back to its place of rest.  
“Thank you.” Sonic said.  
‘Sonic the hedgehog,’ Chaos said his name like it was something new. In a way, it was. It wasn’t a temporary thing anymore. That was him. He was Sonic. ‘You would have made a fine Chaos Emerald.’

Tails barreled into Sonic, Knuckles a few steps behind.  
“What was all of that? What was Chaos saying? Why were you separated? What-?” Tails rambled, full of questions.   
“Whoa!” Sonic chuckled. “Slow down on the questions, bud! I promise, I’ll answer them all!”  
“You really gave us a scare, Blue,” Knuckles growled, patting Sonic overly hard on the back. “.....You really alright?”  
“Am now!” Sonic assured before hesitantly. “Well, now that you mention it, actually……”  
“Sonic….” Tails said, backing away.  
“It’s not relating to any more secrets!” Sonic said hurriedly, raising his hands. “Well, it relates to this one.”  
“And?” Knuckles questioned.  
“So, ya know how my body was slowly shutting down? Well!” Sonic clapped his hands together, face suddenly very pale. “Turns out turning everything back on all at once all of a sudden isn’t good for you! Catch me.”  
“What?” Tails questioned but it was too late, Sonic had already passed out and was eating dirt.  
Soil had never tasted so sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment or/and a kudos


	13. Mother Knows Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if a certain Sonic Movie character existed in the Game Sonic Verse? 
> 
> Yeah, this is more of a vent than anything so feel free to just skip over this, i might do a better continuation with a power reveal later, idk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, with Corvid-19 going around, make sure to keep yourself informed and clean but don't stress yourself. You might find yourself staying up to 11 pm writing Vent Sonic Fanfic to escape the Thoughts.
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or Kudos, it keeps me motivated!

Sonic had a mother once.  
Well, she didn’t let him call her his mother but Sonic was aware enough to know that was what she was.  
He liked to think she loved him but at the end of the day, he didn’t think she knew how to.  
She found him as a baby, powerful but helpless. He named himself and she referred to him as a living object, an it, not a person.  
Not a child.  
It took her years to treat him like a child and he had no idea how wrong that was until he was fifteen years old and a friend told a familiar story.   
Sonic didn’t know or care at the time, young and lonely. She corrected the word ‘mom’ out of him at a very young age.  
It’s not that she didn’t care, she just worried about him too much.  
She told him that he was powerful, that worlds could fall to it, and taught him to seal it away, seal it all away, power, anger, sadness.  
Curiosity was nothing but a frowned upon notion and freedom was a far off dream.  
Sonic was a dreamer.

“Can I go outside?” “Can I play with them?” “Why can’t I go play?”

She scolded him soundly if she caught him trying to leave, calling him selfish and foolish.  
It didn’t stop Sonic.  
He first discovered his speed at the same time he met Eggman.  
A village was burning and he couldn’t do nothing!  
He didn’t expect the thing he did to involve running at super speed but okay! Sure!   
Sonic ran home and he was so excited, see, we don’t have to hide, I’m strong, I can fight, aren’t you proud of me-  
She was waiting at the door and raged at him for what felt like an eternity, screaming about his stupidity and how they would have to move.  
He tried to tell her during dinner but she told him he had lost ‘speaking privileges’. That privilege had been lost an awful lot lately.  
Sonic was eight years old when he nodded, finished his dinner and didn’t say another word for the night.

Sonic left that night and left nothing but memories and an unmade bed.

It took him years to relearn everything but he forced himself out of spite and determination and a lot of quiet late night mutterings.

“It’s okay for me to speak, I don’t need permission, I don’t need to hide and speaking is not a privilege.”  
“Spending time with myself and with others is not selfish.”

It was a work in progress with Sonic.  
Like showing more emotions.  
To tell the truth? He was scared. Scared if he was actually as powerful as she said, if such power would make him lose his friends, if it would paint a bigger target on his back.  
But the thing he was scared the most of all?

LongClaw being right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment and/or Kudos. I love you.


	14. Infinito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this chapter connected to chapter 5? yes. yes it is. Infinite can and will face the wrath caused by my boredom and torrent of ideas constantly rocketing in my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! YOU BETTER NOT BE HOARDING STUFF! TOILET PAPER WON'T SAVE YOUR ASS! >:() BE KIND AND CONSIDERATE!!!!!
> 
> please leave a comment or/and kudos blease uwu

The clicks of heels against a metal floor, the swishing of fur moving along the ground.  
That's what Sonic woke up to some mornings.   
After his bleary eyes opened and he saw what lay just beyond those blue bars, he sighed but sat down as well.  
Infinite didn't respond, not a twitch of him sitting cross legged showed any sign of awareness. Sonic knew better. He knew one wrong move and Infinite kicked him upside down to Tuesday.  
Infinite pulled out the familiar deck and started lying down the cards.  
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.  
Sonic cautiously picked up the cards, looking them over.  
Bad hand. Again.  
Infinite layed down seven more cards for himself and Sonic didn't need to see his face to know it was a good hand.  
They sat in silence, waiting.  
Sonic never made the first move.  
He refused.  
"Ya gonna go or what, bud?" Sonic snarked. Infinite chuckled darkly.  
"Do not rush me, little blue savior." He gently reprimanded but Sonic understood the double meaning.  
Finally, the jackal played down a card. Sonic frowned at it before reaching down to the deck and picking up two more cards.  
Infinite laughed before lying down another card. Sonic let out a barely suppressed sigh of relief and gently rested his card on the small stack.  
Infinite snorted and placed another card on the pile.  
Sonic beamed, placing down another card and smirking at Infinite. He was back at seven.  
Infinite's eye narrowed and they both turned their attention to their decks.  
Infinite placed down down a card.  
Sonic went to grab a card when-  
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Eight.  
He had eight.  
"Is something the matter, hedgehog?" Purred out Infinite. Sonic blinked before shaking his head, trying to look confident.  
"Nah, just realized I must have miscounted." Sonic 'assured' Infinite. If the maniac thought he was cheating….  
Sonic went to select which card he wouldn't give up.  
That one.  
Sonic blinked, hand hovering over the card. That one? But it seemed so good...aw well...he'd trust his gut.  
He placed down the card at the bottom of the deck and another on the pile.  
Infinite laughed.  
"Miscount your number of cards, hedgehog?"  
"Huh?" Sonic questioned. Infinite chuckled, shaking his head.  
“Pick up five more cards. I will not be cheated.”   
Sonic frowned and looked at his cards.  
One, two, three, four, five, six.  
Six. He should have….. He should have seven.  
With a shaky hand and a realization, Sonic took five more cards.  
Watch the ruby, watch the ruby. How could he forget?   
To cut a long, tense game short, Sonic lost.  
Of course.   
He always lost.   
He always forgot.  
He always miscounted.  
He always loses.  
Sonic always failed.   
Infinite waved his hand, erasing the cards. He sighed, shaking his head.  
“I honestly thought you would know better than challenge me by now. Wouldn’t it have been wiser to skip to the obvious conclusion?”  
“............” Sonic stared at the now standing jackal, not rising from his seat on the floor. “I had to try.”  
“Of course.” Infinite mocked. “Well, you tried and failed.”  
The shadows of cube based tentacles stretched over Sonic’s grim face. Sonic only got enough time to close his eyes and grit his teeth before he was dragged into a nightmare of Infinite and his own fears’ making.   
“Time for the real fun to begin.”

Sonic passed the small stretch of his room, pinching himself every now and then. It hurt but pain at the moment was good, pain was real, Infinite couldn’t fully immerse him in such a complicated and deep illusion with so many people and places and still make Sonic physically hurt. Shadow had confirmed it too, not once in Illusion Green Hill did he feel more than a pinch’s worth of pain.  
Sonic knew it was real. He could feel the lingering discomfort on his body from the not so distant Zombot Zirus, he could feel the erratic pounding of his already speeding heart, he could feel the remaining shots of pain from the numerous pinching and pricking he had done in the past hour or so.  
It wasn’t possible. Infinite couldn’t be here, couldn’t be real, couldn’t be, couldn’t be.  
Couldn’t be so real and alive and standing in front of him, looking at Sonic, of all people, with fear.   
Sonic knew he couldn’t let him get away, let Infinite, killer and tormentor of thousands, get away, find Eggman, become a murderer once more, he couldn’t make such a crucial mistake twice.  
But Sonic didn’t know what to do exactly. He didn’t know how strong Infinite was, or why Gadget helped him, if anyone else knew, he knew nothing.  
……...And did he have to expose Infinite without having a little ‘fun’ before?  
No. No, Sonic wouldn’t sink to his level. He couldn’t.  
Sonic flopped on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he sighed. He turned his head.  
On the desk placed in his room, an innocent box of cards rested.  
….Well. One card game wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Sonic did it at lunch.   
It was the best time, everyone sitting and chatting.  
Everyone but Infinite and Gadget.  
A cruel smirk uncurled on Sonic’s face.   
He slid into place next to his brother, full of pleasant smiles and greetings.   
He waited, allowed Infinite to get used to, if not comfortable with, his distant presence.   
He waited and then Sonic’s ever short patience ran out.  
It was time for a game.

Finn had initially watched Sonic as he walked in, still fearful of the hedgehog’s realization of his true identity.   
The red wolf beside him watched with confused concern before reaching out and grabbing Finn’s shoulder.   
“Hey,” Gadget reassured. “I told you, even if Sonic knows, he’s a really forgiving person! He won’t hold it against you, even if what you did was really bad!”  
He wouldn’t be saying this if he knew, Finn knows, if Gadget knew he’d be long dead.  
And that’s the point. He needed help and Infinite wouldn’t get it but Finn would.  
“Hey!” the two looked up, Sonic eagerly waving at them from the distant table. “C’mon, you two, don’t be strangers!”  
Gadget smiled and waved back before rising, taking the jackal’s arm.   
“Let’s go! Sonic won’t bite.” Gadget encouraged, dragging the jackal over.  
Amy and Knuckles scooted over, allowing for the two to sit.

Sonic smiled at Gadget and Infinite, insulted by the way the former masquerading villain squirmed beneath his stare.  
“I was wondering if we could play a card game I’ve learned recently?” Sonic asked cheerfully, waving a deck of cards in the air.  
The others nodded and murmured in acceptance. Sonic smiled brightly as he opened the deck and counted out cards to everyone there.  
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.  
“It’s sort of like Uno!” Sonic explained as he did so. “The goal is to get to one card before anyone else. You’re supposed to match the card last played’s opposite. Like, say I start and place a...hm, queen of hearts. Amy would need to play a king of spades. Got it?”  
The others held up their hands and nodded in understanding. Infinite’s face paled and looked so hilarious when he picked up his cards. Sonic felt a little bad, causing Infinite fear over something that had been used to terrorize himself so thoroughly, but hey, Sonic had had worse ideas.

Oh Chaos, oh Chaos, he knew. Sonic knew and the hedgehog was toying with him, maybe even testing him. Finn couldn’t run, it’d look suspicious, he couldn’t run.  
He picked up his cards, trying to play it cool but failing.

“I’ll start!” Sonic said chipperly, setting down the card. “We can go clockwise, which means it’ll end with Finn!”  
Oh, this really shouldn’t be so fun.   
Even though it was a game of multiple people, the only people who were playing the game’s full experience were the little blue savior and the killer of millions. 

Deep breaths, Finn, don’t let him mess with you, he’s trying to get in your head, ya know, like how you got in his head and made him doubt reality to the point he enjoyed getting pummeled because then he knew you weren’t messing with him.   
Finn took a deep breath, noting the way Sonic’s hands were shivering as much as his.   
The hedgehog was still afraid of him.  
If only Finn had the strength and will to use that to his advantage.  
He looked at his hand. He hadn’t played yet.  
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.  
No. he, he shouldn’t have eight.   
Finn’s eyes darted to where Sonic was telling an apparently engaging story, no one really paying the jackal any mind.  
Finn looked down at his hand, picking up the eighth card and placing it at the bottom of the unused pile of cards.   
“Whatcha doing there, buddy?” Finn started at Sonic’s voice.   
“Oh, uh, I just miscounted my cards.” Finn said as quietly and meekly as possible. Sonic snorted.  
“I’ll say. Dude, you’re gonna need to pick up five more cards.” Sonic teased as lightly as a clearly furious but trying to hide it from everyone but one person hedgehog could.  
Finn frowned and looked down at his cards.  
One, two, three, four, five, six. Six.  
Finn stared at his hand with panted breath. Gadget glanced at him, full of concern.  
How many times did he do this to Sonic? How many times had he done worse? Was this just Sonic’s start at getting revenge? Would he tell anyone? Or appoint judgement as he saw fit? What would Sonic do to him?  
“Finn? You alright?” Gadget questioned, reaching out for him. Finn flinched away from him, standing up.  
“I-I have to go.” Finn blathered out before running out with his tail in between his legs.   
Gadget murmured an apology before rising from the table.

That worked………...better than expected. Sonic really hoped no one noticed how moist his cards now were.   
“Wait! Gadget!” Sonic called out, placing his cards down. “I’ll help you look for him.”  
Only one way to find out what Gadget’s deal was; talk to him.

As Sonic and Gadget left the cafeteria, they didn’t notice a shadowed but an interested third party following close behind…..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment or/and kudos


	15. Condemnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is connected to Infinito and Forgiveness!
> 
> Sonic talks to Gadget.
> 
> Also I kinda made Infinite a coward? IDK i just wanted to make him really unlikable and i hate people who act all helpless and sad after being a jerk to someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you need to wash!!! your!! hands!!! >:( It's important for your and everyone around you's health!!! I don't have school until the end of April because of people not washing their hands and letting it spread.   
> Don't be that guy. Wash ya hands. >:(
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos please! stay healthy!

Gadget was worried.  
I mean, Finn had been skittish but he didn’t think getting caught cheating would cause him to run off like that!  
Speaking of which, Sonic didn’t really seem that worried.   
It almost seemed like he was….. Waiting.

They hadn’t actually gone far from the cafe into the maze that was the base when Sonic stopped.  
“So what’s in this all for you?” Sonic said, his normal cheerful tone sounding eerily fake. “I didn’t really take you as the bribing type.”  
“E-Excuse me?” Gadget questioned, turning to the hedgehog. “What do you mean bribe?”  
“Well, I mean, you can’t seriously be helping ‘Finn’ for no good reason,” Sonic said the jackal’s name like it was some sort of disease. “I mean, after everything he did-”  
“Wait, you know?!” Gadget questioned. He didn’t know exactly what Finn had done that made him feel like Sonic would never forgive him, but he did know it was bad.  
“Of course I know.” Sonic said, his cheerful tone dropped. “And apparently so do you. I was actually just teasing you to get ya questioning.”  
Gadget felt a shiver down his spine, a cold shudder that he wondered if Eggman felt sometimes. Sonic stalked forwards, Gadget backing up until his fur brushed against the painted metal wall.  
“So what do you know? Why are you helping him?” Sonic asked coldly.  
“Wait, so that whole game…. It was on purpose? You did something to him!” Gadget ignored his questions and the obvious answers of ‘I don’t know’ and ‘because I thought he needed help’ and asked a question of his own.  
Sonic snorted, shaking his head.  
“Don’t give me so much credit. ‘Finn’ set up the connotations of the game, I just happened to remember how terrifying it was for me.”  
Connotations? That kind of implied that this had happened before and that Finn wasn’t the one being messed with.  
“What… are you talking about?”  
“Don’t play dumb, buddy,” Sonic spat out the nickname like it was a brussel sprout. “You know who he is, you know what he did. That’s what bugs me. He did not just do horrible things to me but to everyone! If it was just me, I’d be fine but he hurt you too! Gadget, your family-”  
Wait, what? What did Finn have to do with his family? They were dead. Finn never even knew them.  
Sonic stopped at the wolf’s confused and borderline angry face. The hedgehog’s green eyes widened and he took a step back, shaking his head and frowning.  
“Wait.” Sonic said slowly. “You, you actually don’t know. You genuinely don’t know. Oh my, oh my Chaos.”  
Gadget watched the strange acting blue hedgehog like a feral animal, unsure of this reaction.  
Sonic laughed but it was wrong, angry and sharp and cruel and utterly unnerving.  
“Wow, just when you think you can’t hate a guy more…!” Sonic snarled out.   
“What in Gaia’s name are you talking about?!” Gadget cried out, ears falling on the back of his head. He took a step towards the unthreatened hedgehog. “Who is Finn?! What did he do?! What don’t I know?!”  
“Gadget…..” Sonic shook his head, sighing. “Finn is-”

“Faker. Rookie.”   
Both hedgehog and wolf startled at the voice. Shadow stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, arms crossed.  
Gadget watched as Sonic seemed to change before his eyes, going from angry and defensive to relaxed, even happy.   
“Shades!” Sonic greeted, throwing an arm around the other hedgehog. “Whatcha doing over here?”  
Shadow raised an eyebrow and frowned at Sonic before shrugging his arm off of him.  
“I heard you were looking for…. Finn, was it?” Shadow responded. “I figured I’d be of assistance.”   
Gadget wasn’t happy to leave the conversation as is but Sonic didn’t seem willing to talk about it in front of others.  
“Well, I appreciate the help, Shadow.” Gadget thanked, nodding respectfully to the more experienced fighter. Shadow just huffed and walked past them.  
“We should split up,” Shadow said, his back to them. “Me and Faker will look over there and you look over there, alright, Rookie?”  
Shadow didn’t wait for confirmation or agreement, heading down towards one of the directions he motioned to.  
Sonic grinned and shrugged at Gadget before running to catch up.  
Gadget frowned at the hedgehog’s retreating backs before turning and heading the other way.

Sonic hummed as they walked along.  
“You don’t seem in a hurry to find the jackal.” Shadow pointed out.   
“Neither do you.” Sonic chirped in response, hands behind his head.  
Shadow didn’t respond.   
“He’s Infinite.” Sonic said suddenly. The darkness obscured Shadow’s expression.   
“I know.” 

They both stood in darkness and in silence.   
“You know?!” Sonic suddenly hissed at his dark counterpart. Shadow avoided his gaze. “You knew and you haven’t said anything?!”  
“I thought you of all people would be willing to forgive him.” Shadow said, almost accusingly, and Sonic saw red.  
“Last time I did that, not only did you get mad at me, everyone almost died!” Sonic cried, tossing his arms up. “I’m actually trying to learn from my mistakes and you’re acting like it’s all no big deal.”  
“....Is it really such a big deal?” Shadow questioned, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying himself.  
“HE CAUSED A WAR, SHADOW, HE-” Sonic stopped and turned and looked at Shadow, really looked at him. “.....What happened.”  
“What?” Shadow turned to Sonic. “Why do you assume something happened?”  
“Because, 1. You’re of the opinion that no one, including yourself, don’t deserve forgiveness so this is kind of out of character for you, 2. You kinda are acting guilty.” Sonic said, holding up two fingers.  
Shadow huffed.  
“Dude, what happened?” Sonic asked.  
“I have…. reason to believe I may have caused Infinite’s fall from grace.”   
They stared at each other for a moment in the darkness.  
“And?”  
“What?”  
“Aren’t ya gonna tell me how? Or am I gonna have to bribe Rouge or something?” Sonic crossed his arms.  
Shadow frowned but sighed, nodding.  
“I… A few weeks before Infinite trapped me temporarily inside the fictitious Green Hill, during a raid on an Eggbase, I encountered a group of jackal mercenaries, guarding the base. I gathered, while battling them, that the leader was the only reason why they stayed and I shared with their leader how foolish I found that.” Shadow shared hesitantly. “If my suspicion is correct, the jackal took my criticism a little too personally.”

Silence once more reigned before Sonic let out a dry laugh.  
“Wow, that’s actually kinda sad.” Sonic chuckled out. “He worked with Eggman, killed thousands, tortured me for six months, framed you for a lot of bad stuff…. and it was all a temper tantrum?”  
“A... “ Shadow did a double take. “A temper tantrum? Sonic, I-!”  
“No, no, I get it.” Sonic interrupted. “But you warned him and he still worked with Eggman. That’s not your fault. In fact, this made me even angrier with Infinite! Wow! I didn’t think after what he pulled with Gadget.”  
“What did he do?”  
“Oh, just asked for his help and not telling him he’s Infinite.”  
“.....You have got to be joking.”   
“Nooope.” Sonic popped the p as he responded passive aggressively.  
“...... If you don’t punch him first, I will.”

Gadget was walking back, reassuring Finn, when he spotted the two.  
“Sonic! Shadow? I found him!” Gadget called out, feeling Finn tense beside him.   
The two ‘hogs glanced at each other before racing over.  
Sonic got there first and both canines were completely unprepared for him to slam a fist into Finn’s face.  
“FINN!” Gadget cried out, helping the jackal back up. His nose was bleeding. “Why’d you do that for?!”  
Sonic flexed his wrist, smiling angrily.   
“I can’t believe you,” he said to Finn. “Didn’t even tell him. How sick is that?”  
“I- I don’t-” Finn started only to yelp as Sonic grabbed him and forced them into eye contact.  
“About who you are, who you really are.” Sonic snarled. “You ruined his life, tried to kill him multiple times, and then came crawling to him for help.”  
Shadow remained quiet, only watching.  
“Finn, what’s he talking about?” Gadget questioned, concerned.   
“Well?” Sonic copied. “What am I talking about, ‘Finn’, hm?”  
“Nothing, I don’t know what he’s talking about-” Finn tried but Sonic wasn’t buying it.  
“LIER!” Sonic screamed, tossing Finn to the floor.

Sonic stared him down.  
“Tell him.”  
“No.”  
Tell him or I will.”  
“..... You wouldn’t.”  
“You clearly don’t know me.”

Gadget wanted to butt in but stayed anxiously quiet.  
Shadow checked that no one was looking for them.

“Gadget, he’s-” Sonic started.  
“NO!” Finn cried, standing up. Sonic closed his mouth, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife. “....What do you want.”  
“Hm?” Sonic questioned.   
“Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you, if you just shut up, if you just let me go.” Finn said, trying to figure a way out of this. He’d always been either to think, trick, or fight his way out but in recent days, running was forcibly becoming an option, the only option.  
“...What if what I want is justice for everyone you hurt?” Sonic said softly, Finn flinching. “What if I want you brought to justice? Can you give me that and run? Can you?”  
Finn looked away, tail swishing nervously.  
“....I didn’t think so.”

“Gadget.” Sonic said, Finn jolting and Gadget starting.   
“Don’t listen to him, Gadget, please-” Finn begged, unwilling to lose his last hope of finding his squad and not ending up homeless or worse. 

“He’s Infinite.”

Finn- Infinite- was saying something and Sonic was yelling at him and Shadow may be talking to Gadget but the red wolf couldn’t hear anything over the horrifying feeling he was going to be sick.  
Infinite. He’d been helping Infinite.  
He reassured Infinite. Told his nightmares to Infinite. Mourned his sister with Infinite. Defended, helped, protected, assisted the destroyer of his whole world.  
Reality snapped back into focus.  
“You MONSTER!” Gadget screamed, tearing up. “How- how long were you gonna play me along? You killed thousands of innocent people, you killed my family, you killed my sister! And you tricked me into helping you?! Why?!”   
Finn’s face dropped, like he just realized how bad of a thing he just did.   
“I needed help finding my squad, Gadget, I’m sorry, I was angry and not thinking so I lashed out-”  
“Lashed out?! Lashing out is yelling at a retail employee! Not, not working for Eggman!”  
Finn winced.

Sonic stepped back in.  
“Alright, buddy, here’s your options,” Sonic said, conveniently now standing between the two canines. “You either give yourself a fighting chance and tell everyone you’re Infinite or I do and you look even worse and we both know I won’t hesitate to scream it from the rooftops.”

The three watched the former villain.  
FInn looked at each of them and sighed, body slumping in defeat.

And then he took off. 

Both hedgehogs were surprised by his speed, the jackal already in the winding tunnels of the base before either could move.  
Gadget sighed.  
“I’ll find him.” the wolf said. “You… tell everyone.”  
They nodded but Sonic stopped before they left.  
“Gadget?” Sonic called. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think he-”  
Gadget shook his head.  
“Me neither but maybe I can talk some sense into him. I won’t ever forgive him but…. Finn was my friend, even if Infinite was my enemy.”  
“Understood. Be safe.”  
“You too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and/or kudos.


	16. Turn the Light Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://tsaikonautz.tumblr.com/post/189326623153/this-is-all-i-had-left-in-me-guess-well-never
> 
> FUCK GUN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, First, though, here are a few tips for staying happy, healthy, and keeping your brain active that I've compiled from a variety of articles over the course of the last week.
> 
> 1\. Get dressed every morning.  
> 2\. Do some form of physical activity every day (Outside is good, as long as you stay a minimum of 6 feet away from other people! There are also some great free yoga videos on Youtube)  
> 3\. Spend time away from your screens. Read, go on walks, garden, cook, play board games with your family, meditate, listen to music or podcasts, play your instruments...just give your eyes and brains a break from staring at the screens.  
> 4\. Do something every day that interests and works your brain.  
> 5\. Wash your hands! Don't touch your face! Don't wear clothes you've worn outside far into your house or in your bed!  
> 6\. The most common and important tip I've seen is to create a daily schedule and stick to it. The human animal thrives on routine, and ours is messed up right now. We need to create new ones for ourselves.
> 
> Please leave a kudos and/or comment! Love you!

Sonic had many enemies, that much was clear.   
When you’re a fifiteen year old capable of destroying metal with your body, people take a certain interest in ya.   
They either regard you as a hero, enemy, or a tool.   
Sonic never let it bug him, what those kinds of people thought of him never mattered to him.  
Well. Until they were GUN.  
Sonic had to thank Shadow and Rouge for at least the warning. He’d be completely dead meat if otherwise.  
To be honest, Sonic thought they would, y’know, try to talk to him first? Not jump straight to the “we’re gonna kidnap you and break you emotionally to make you as compliant as we’d like Shadow and also fake your death” thing. At least, that’s what it sounded like for the few seconds he was actually caught before Tails broke their crazy, probably illegal truck and busted him out of there.  
Oh! Yeah! Tails! His awesome little bro! That was another point of concern! The little dude was injured from a fight the day before with Egghead and was supposed to stay off that leg for at least a week and busting your older brother out of technically the government’s moving prison kinda opens up any leg wounds.

So yeah, this is fine, it’s all good, nothing bad is gonna happen, just carry Tails and run, run, you useless hedgehog, see what you’ve done now-

Sonic backpedaled, barely able to keep from careening off the cliff into the ravine below. He couldn’t… there was no safe way to get across.  
At least, not with his own power.  
No. no, he couldn’t ask that of Tails, his leg-!

“Sonic?” Tails questioned, glancing behind them, unsure why they had stopped. “Is something wrong?”  
Sonic hissed, frantically trying to solve the problem without forcing his injured friend to end up in more danger. There was none.  
“Listen, bud, I know you’re hurt but,” Sonic motioned to the gap. “That’s too far for me to clear without backtracking to gather momentum…..”  
Sonic helped Tails to his feet, the fox balancing himself on one leg before easing the hurt one down.   
“Think you can maybe take us across?” Sonic questioned, ready to scoop up Tails if he wasn’t able to.  
“Shu-sure, no problem.” Tails winced out, whirling his tails to propel himself up into the air. Sonic grabbed his hands, the two beginning a slow but steady flight through the air to the other side. 

They didn’t get far.

Sonic didn’t notice one of the GUN grunts popping out of the giant vehicle they had been chasing in, or that grunt pulling out a sniper rifle.  
He did notice a sharp pain in his ear and a harsh cry from Tails before the kit let go and they were falling.   
Sonic looked as they tumbled through the air, eyes wide in horror as his little brother gripped his bleeding knee and one of his tails dripped blood through the air.  
Tails slammed back into the cliff, Sonic barely managing to grab onto the ledge.

He could hear Tails crying.

Sonic pulled himself up, struggling to find a foothold.   
“Tails?” Sonic called out, anxiety rising inside him. “Miles?!”  
“Sonic, I can’t-” Tails cried, tears streaming down his face, his pristine white gloves now stained a bloody red. “I can’t get up.”  
Sonic froze for a moment, horror at this gruesome sight filling him.   
“Oh my Chaos,” the words managed to pass trembling lips before Sonic threw himself at Tails’ side, hands fliting over him, uncertainty and fear filling the blue blur. “Oh my Chaos, oh my Chaos, Oh my Chaos, Tails-”  
The sound of incoming cars reminded Sonic of the situation and it didn’t take him long to connect the dots on the cause of Tails’ new found pain.

GUN.

As the lights of the truck hit Sonic and Tails, he gave them a glare few had witness to. It promised them rage, it promised destruction, it promised chaos to the fullest of his destructive power.  
It promised them their own personal first seat show of hell.  
Sonic turned his face back to Tails, combing his fingers through his short fur, trying to bring him some small measure of comfort.  
Tails whimpered, turning his face into Sonic’s chest, trying to get away from the painfully bright lights.   
“I’m sorry for bringing you into this, Tails,” Sonic murmured into his tangerine fur. “This is all my fault…”  
Tails pulled away, trying to look Sonic in the face.  
“No, Sonic, I wanted to-!” Tails tried to say but it was all too much, the shouting of the GUN agents, the lights, the pain, it was too much for the eight year old genius.  
“They’re chasing me but they made the mistake of hurting ya,” Sonic growled out. “Close your eyes out and stay put.”

Sonic stood, timidly walking forward, ears pinned to his head, hands up. The wiser ones hesitated while the cocky ones laughed, one running to get the cuffs.  
Suddenly, there was the sound of broken glass and one of the truck lights was broken.   
But it couldn’t be the oh so beaten hedgehog! They hadn’t seen him move!  
Another light broke. ⅔ down now.  
They pointed their weapons at him, told him to stop whatever he was doing.  
Their guns were all disarmed and gone.  
Sonic lifts his face.

He’s smiling.

The light goes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos and/or comment!


	17. Sonic Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YES, THIS IS A SONIC PARODY OF SNOW WHITE, SHUT UP, I WAS BORED OKAY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember to brush your teeth! you kind of need them to eat, my friends.
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos! I am trapped in this house with only my questionable good for my mental health family.

Once upon a time, there was a prince.   
He had blue quills like the ocean, skin the color of bronze, and eyes of emerald.   
He was a skilled fighter, armed with wit and courage and a huge confident grin on his face.   
The king was the only one who did admire his diligence and kind heart, both getting in the evil tyrant’s way.  
When he tried to start wars, the prince soothed them over, when he tried to execute disloyal citizens, the prince somehow helped them escape.   
He always was so swift to come to anyone who needed it’s aid, that the people called him Sonic.

Sonic didn’t want for much in his life, despite the mistreatment by his stepfather. He was clothed in rags and whatever he could manage to stitch together but he did not wish for clothes. He was fed only scraps from the table and whatever food he could find but he was not starving. He had to sleep in the stable with the animals but he was never tired.

It made the egg shaped king furious.  
He didn’t understand how the prince could stay so good natured and happy despite his terrible living conditions.  
He didn’t understand that Sonic, while not happy with his life currently, had hope for better days. Hope he would share to the best of his ability.  
What the omelette lord didn’t understand, he hated. What he hated, he wanted gone. What he wanted gone, he got rid off.

He summoned one of his many lunkies, the drill based machine bowing humbly.  
“How may I serve you, your horribleness?” Grounder, as that was the bot’s name, said.   
“Take that rat out into the woods, for a run or something like that, I don’t know what he does with his free time,” he said dismissively. “And then, kill him. It shouldn’t be so hard.”  
Grounder’s metal jaw dropped in surprise. Even the most loyal of the rotund royal’s mechanical creations had a soft spot for the prince.  
“Your badness, you can’t really-”  
“If you fail me in this task,” the tyrant rose to his feet, pointing a finger at the small driller. “I won’t hesitate to use you for spare parts!”  
“Uh, whatever you say, your rottenness!” Grounder bowed one last time before drastically wheeling out.

Scratch and Grounder watched as Sonic ran in circles, laughing joyfully at the chance for fresh air.   
They glanced at each other before nodding.  
Sonic sighed, sitting on a fallen log. Boy, what a lovely day…..  
His ears pricked up at what seemed like crying. He looked around before looking down and spying a little red-eared slider turtle stuck on its back.  
“Oh no!” Sonic cried, crouching down on one knee and turning the little guy right side up. “Aw, poor fella…. Where’s your family?”  
Scratch and Grounder weren’t the fastest or most dangerous or the smartest robots in the Egg Battalion but they were the most unsuspicious.

“You don’t know? Oh, geez, buddy, you don’t know? Don’t worry, I’ll help you find them!”

They were clumsy, stupid and their only redeeming quality was they were kind of amusing. Not bots you’d peg for murderers.

“Hm….” Sonic looked around with a frown. The turtle let out a happy chirp and started crawling towards another hollowed stump. A rat, a box turtle, a snapping turtle, and a soft shell turtle called back. Sonic raised a brow at the strange group but smiled. “Is that them, pal?”

No, you’d never suspect them of treason of any kind.

The turtle joined its strange group, the rat the last to submerge into the darkness of the stump, squeaking out its thanks.   
“Goodbye! Stay safe!” 

Which is a good thing since they were about to.

Sonic stood up, smiling and backed up into cold metal.  
He let out a shriek, leaping away. Grounder and Scratch screamed too.  
“Oh, geez,” Sonic sighed before offering an apologetic smile. “Sorry, guys, you startled me.”  
The two machines looked at each other before positioning themselves on either side of the now confused prince.   
“Scratch? If you were, uh, say, the king,” Grounder said loudly. “Who would you consider your biggest threat to your rule?”  
“Huh, well, I guess, maybe the prince that is not only undermining my efforts for complete control but has public support behind him.” Scratch said equally loud. Sonic frowned but paid attention now, feeling the subtle jab.   
“How would you get rid of the threat though?”   
“Oh, that’s easy! Send two of my most unsuspecting bots to eliminate him!” Scratch responded. Sonic’s eyes widened and he tensed up, watching the two bots on either side of him with suspicion. But they had to be saying all of this for a reason……  
“Now, Scratch, if you were the prince and the king wanted you dead, what would you do?” Grounder said, turning to look away.  
“Run,” Scratch said, also turning away. “Run away while the two bots aren't looking and don’t stop running until I can't run anymore.”

Sonic didn’t need to be told twice.   
He took off into the woods, not looking back.

Well, it was official. Not only was Sonic panicking, he was lost.   
Sonic plopped onto the ground, panting as he buried his head in his hands.   
Holy smokes.   
Sonic was wanted dead. He was driven from his home. He’d never be able to go back. What would that egg rotten king do to the people? What would the people think? Would they think he abandoned them? He didn’t have a choice! He… he didn’t know what to do….  
Sonic rubbed his eyes frantically, trying to keep the creeping tears at bay. He lowered his hands and found himself staring face to face with a full grown deer.  
“Hello,” he said, exhaustion keeping him from freaking out due to being near such a powerful creature. “Can I help you?”  
The deer responded by licking him with its rough tongue, cleaning his face of tears and tickling him to the point of a full body laugh.  
“Alright, alright, I stopped! I’m fine,” Sonic laughed out, the deer stepping back. Sonic quickly noted he had a bit of an audience, involving the turtles and rat from earlier. “Uh, well, hi.”  
The animals watched him with wide eyes and Sonic hesitated before posing his question, not used to asking for help.  
“Uh, well, as you can see, I’m kinda lost and I need a place to stay,” Sonic said nervously. “I was….. Wondering if any of you knew a place?”  
No one moved and Sonic sighed, his exhaustion rising at just the prospect of sleeping outside. He was used to bad sleeping conditions but that didn’t mean he liked it.   
“I figured.” Sonic murmured, rising to go find a place to set up camp for the night. He had a few hours if he hurried.   
He stopped when he felt a tugging on his sock, looking down to see the rat. He bent down, giving the fellow rodent his attention.  
“What’s up?” Sonic questioned, listening to the rat’s squeaks. “You know a place?”  
The rat squeaked a positive affirment before dashing out of the small clearing Sonic had stopped in. Sonic scooped up the turtles and hurried after the small creature. 

“Wow…” Sonic murmured, looking at the humble but still well made cottage. He placed the turtles near their furry guardian before knocking on the door.  
Nothing. Sonic frowned before knocking again.  
Again, nothing.   
“Guess they’re not home!” Sonic shrugged. Well, he thought, a little peck never hurt anyone. He pushed the door open, him and a few animals poking their heads through the crack. Sonic winced. “Geez, it has to be just the darkness….. No one would really let their house get this bad?”  
Sonic pushed the door open.   
“Nope, it’s really that bad.” Sonic winced, coughing from the dust just moving the door had stirred up.   
He looked around, grabbing the broom. Well, he was already here and it might make the occupants more willing to let him stay.   
Cleaning had become a fun and easy task for Sonic, or maybe it was the years of servitude talking.   
Sonic hummed as he worked, yawning every now and then. He was so tired.  
Panicking and crying in strange woods will do that to ya.  
He noted the woodland creatures helping to their best knowledge, it all orchestrated by the rat, who seemed to make the rules. The four turtles crawled around Sonic, simitausly getting in his way and assisting him.  
Floor clean and dishes cleaned, Sonic felt a pang of hunger strike him.   
He hesitated from seeing what food was available for a fair enough of time (he scrubbed the chimney top to bottom, made the giant bed upstairs, and collected enough firewood to last for a very long time if used sparingly) before opening the cupboards and the ice box, finding chili and hot dogs.   
Sonic filled the cottage with the smell of cooking chili and delicious dogs, as well as some flowers he arranged in vases to brighten up the place.   
Wow, these guys must work late if they let their house deteriorate into such disrepair. Sonic yawned, slumping into a chair before the fireplace.   
Sonic blinked blurrily, the day’s events finally catching up to him as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

Another day, another fruitless search. Amy wanted to tear her quills out but Cream was too tired to walk and so Amy was carrying her.   
Amy didn’t know why they were even looking for these shards anymore, even Knuckles starting to lose hope.  
She glanced at her group, Shadow and Rouge probably gossiping in the back, Silver floating lazily, Tails getting a piggyback ride from Knuckles.   
Seven in total. Wasn’t that supposed to be a lucky number?  
Tails sat up on Knuckles’ back, his nose twitching.  
“Do you guys smell that?” he asked, the others taking a whiff to see if they could smell it too. “Did one of you guys like remember we need to eat to survive and premade dinner?”  
At the shaking of every head, Amy frowned.   
“That’s strange….” she mused.  
“It smells sooooo good….” whined Silver, salivating at the smell.   
“Focus, Silver,” Shadow scolded, leaving Rouge and joining Amy at the front. “It could be an intruder.”   
Amy stood Cream up, the six year old yawning but complying. She summoned her piko piko hammer as they approached their home.

The door was open.

“Cream, Tails, stay in the back, Silver, right in front of them, Rouge, by Silver, Shadow and Knuckles, by me.” Amy shot off orders, the group instantly arranging itself as she commanded.  
Amy, Shadow, and Knuckles crept in.   
“Is it just me, or is the house actually clean?” Rouge questioned from her position, noting her less clean white boots standing out more than usual against the floor. The others looked around, coming to the same conclusion.  
“All the dishes!” whispered Tails. “And my projects! They’re not on the table!”   
“The books are all organized and dusted… strange….” remarked Shadow.   
“I forgot we had a window up there!” sputtered out Silver.  
“Guys, focus!” hissed Amy. She was equally amazed by the cottage’s transformation, she had wanted to do it herself but she was always too tired to, but she had spotted a hunched figure in front of the fire.   
Gotcha ya.  
The lead three crept up around the figure, preparing to strike when-  
“Oh.” Amy blinked, lowering her hammer slightly. The stranger was asleep and a bit of a mess but surprisingly… beautiful? Amy wasn’t sure if that was the right word but he looked like he had been painted for this exact scene. He barely looked older than Shadow, curled up around a spoon and a dust brush.   
“Well, we found our Break In Mary Poppins,” huffed Knuckles. “Now what?”   
Amy shrugged.   
“We wait until he wakes up and then gets answers?” she suggested.  
“We won’t have to wait long. Look.” Shadow pointed out.  
True to Shadow’s word, the stranger did seem to be waking up, stretching in the chair. He woke slowly, one eye at a time until he sat up completely.  
He looked at them and, after yawning, screamed.   
He jolted to his feet, dashing over to the pot with a surprising amount of speed.   
The hedgehog stirred it frantically for a few minutes before sighing in relief and turning around.  
“Heh, sorry, was worried I’d burnt the chili!” he beamed brightly, shrugging. “Are you guys the- Oh, you are! I am so sorry, it’s just, I’m kinda on the run for my life and need a place to stay, and i was gonna ask but you weren’t home and I was so bored and hungry so I thought I’d clean up and make dinner!”   
Tails pushed through to the pot.  
“Can I have a taste?” Tails asked, the stranger nodding and handing the ladle before anyone could interject. Tails dipped it in, sipping from the ladle. “Mmmm! This is good chili!”  
“Heh, thanks! Haven’t had many chances to make it, let alone make it for chili dogs so I was worried it’d be a flop!”  
“Wait, wait, back up,” Rouge questioned. “Did you say, ‘on the run for my life’?”  
“Uh, yep! I mean, I think he thinks I’m dead right now but not sure how long that’ll last.”  
“May I ask who?”  
“Oh! The king.”  
“The king?!” cried Knuckles. “You can’t stay here! If the king wants you dead and finds you here-!”  
“Oh,” the hedgehog said, as if he just realized that. “I see, um, I didn’t think of that. I’m sorry, I’ve had a day and a half today, hah. Not really thinking.”  
“What’s your name, mister?” Cream asked, smiling sweetly.  
“Oh! Geez, I’m just forgetting all my manners today, huh?” he chuckled, before shaking Cream’s hand. “My name is...really dull and boring but everyone calls me Sonic.”  
“Wait, Sonic?” Silver butted in. “As in the prince?”  
“Whoa, the prince?”Amy questioned. “And the king wants you dead?”  
“Well, he’s never been a fan of mine!” Sonic smiled at her, shrugging as if getting hunted down was normal for him.   
Sonic sighed, looking disappointed.   
“Uh, so I guess, I’ll take a chili dog and get out of your way, sorry.” Sonic kicked a little out of the floor. “Don’t wanna drag you all into my whole wanted dead or alive mess.”  
“What? But if you leave while that meanie’s looking for you, you could get hurt all alone, Mistor Sonic!” Cream cried in protest, Cheese chiming in with some chao scoldings.   
Amy pulled the group into a huddle.

“I’m completely against this.”  
“For once, I agree with the echidna.”  
“But Mr. Sonic will be all alone in the woods!”  
“Look, boys, he cleaned this house from top to bottom, we could use that kind of deep cleaning in this house.”  
“Are you saying he should stay as long as Eggman is hunting him?”  
“Big Blue is a popular fellow…. Wouldn’t hurt to have a prince in our debt.”  
“Rouge!”  
“I’m joking, I’m joking!”  
“He makes actually decent chili and he needs help. Seems like an easy answer to me!”  
“Silver?”   
“Hm? Oh! Well, he seems nice! I don’t see why not.”  
I don’t trust ‘em, he’s too nice. I don’t like it.”  
“Mr. Knuckles…..”  
“Let’s put to a vote.”  
“Aye!”  
“Aye!”  
“Oye!”   
“Aye!”  
“Oye!”  
“Aye!”  
“Aye!”

The seven turned back to the royal blue hedgehog, who was nervously waiting for their verdict.  
“Ahem,” Amy stepped forward. “We have decided you can stay.”  
“Really?!” Sonic cheered, dashing up and shaking her hand with way more speed than needed. “Oh, you won’t regret this, promise!”  
Amy pulled her arm free, laughing a little at him. Sonic smiled apologetically, dashing off to presumably the grill to check on the dogs.   
“There’s another problem, Amy.” Shadow interjected, stepping forward. Amy sighed but turned, motioning for him to go on.  
“Where’s he gonna sleep?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment and/or kudos!


	18. Birds On A Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did I write an au where everyone is a magical creature/cryptid based on a very specific context from a discord server about the Sonic Unleashed Comic, The Monster In Me by Superemeralds on Tumblr?  
> yes.  
> Anywho, here  
> shadow- half genie  
> amy- half genie  
> sonic- wind elemental  
> tails- kitsune  
> knuckles- minor deity/avatar  
> vanilla- wolpertinger  
> cream- skvader  
> infinite- genie, formerly mobian  
> the concept was started by Shadow's line in SA2 where hes like 'I'll grant you one wish.'  
> What? That kinda messes with his backstory? shut up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! Read The Heart Of A Monster by Superemeralds on Tumblr or I will personally fold all your laundry and put it on your bed right before you go to sleep. >:(
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos! I love you! I ate two chicken legs in my bedroom at 10 pm!

Sonic and Tails weren’t normal.  
That was clear.  
The way the air seemed to bend around Sonic, the wisdom an eight year old possessed.  
They were not normal.  
The necklace Tails never removed, the trills Sonic sang when he thought he was alone.  
Magic followed through their friend group but besides the blessings Chaos granted them, they seemed untouched.  
When it was just one, being normal was easy.  
But surrounded by demigods and genies and powerful beings of all kinds of makings, they stood out like a pear on an apple tree.  
Sonic was discovered before his brother, both possessing the same fear despite their company.  
Betrayal stained a soul, no matter how old it was.

The wind had been so tempting, a reminder of a comfort he had to hide his indulgence in. Minor wind elementals did not fly, did not have wings.

But then he did, the board dropping as a blue bird soared into the sky, a beautiful display of speed mixed with power in every flap of wings.  
The bird sped past the shell shocked Jet, letting out a triumphant screech as it landed.  
Its feathers peeled back, claws softening, until a exstatic blue hedgehog stood there. He didn’t seem to notice he was the only one cheering.  
Tails’ eyes couldn’t close away, even though he felt like he should. His hand was clenched in an almost painful grip around his star necklace.  
Sonic turned to smile at the group and stopped, realizing the shock and mild horror on their faces. His eyes shifted to the giant screen, just in time for it to replay a clip of the bird- Sonic- soaring past Jet.  
Sonic’s eyes widened and he sputtered, waving his arms frantically. Oh lord. All those strange quirks of his, everytime he struggled with a word, his love of flight, it all added up.  
Before Tails could move, before he could even call out to his brother, the hedgehog was gone.

Everyone erupted, rising to their feet in confusion and, for their small group, anger.  
How could he not tell them? They told him! What did he not trust them?!  
Anger faded to hurt.  
Did he not trust them?  
No one noticed Tails leaving.  
And no one noticed Eggman was already gone.

Tails found Sonic chittering to himself on a hill on Green Hill. he didn’t seem to be focused, his appearance more feathery than quilled. Tails approached with a hand over his star shaped charm.  
“Sonic?”  
The scream Sonic gives isn’t one of a hedgehog but he clears his throat and laughs a little.  
“Uh, sorry, little bro, you startled me!” Sonic sighed. “Geez…. I guess the cat’s out of the bag, huh?”  
Tails just sat next to him, finding himself unable to speak. Sonic automatically leaned over and started running his fingers through Tails’ fur. Preening. Gosh, you’d think he’d have noticed.  
“I really didn’t mean to keep it a secret for so long. I was scared and then I was distracted and then I figured it wouldn’t matter but,” Sonic explained, combing Tails’ tails. “It does matter, doesn’t it? Everyone else risked themselves coming out and here I was, holding out on them.”  
“It’s your secret, you don’t have to tell anyone if you don’t want to.” Tails murmured, more to himself than to Sonic.  
“You really think so?” Sonic smiled, leaning on the younger fox. “Well, no more secrets, alright?”  
Tails bites his lip but nods, hating himself for the lie he just said.

I’ll tell him later.

Tails didn’t tell him later.  
He didn’t tell him when Sonic ate breakfast and was more bird than hedgehog.  
He didn’t tell him when Sonic took him for a flight.  
He didn’t tell him until he woke up one morning to find Metal Sonic standing over him.

“Wha-” Tails croaked out before a metal fist reached out and grabbed the small charm around his neck, yanking it off him.  
Tails let out a strangled gasp, sitting up. Metal burst out through the roof, a thundering that brought Sonic running in.  
“Tails?! Are you okay? What’s going on?” Sonic cried, running over to where Tails sat in bed, eyes wide. “Tails?”  
“Metal Sonic,” Tails gasped out, barely louder than a whisper. “He took my, he took my charm, Sonic, I-”  
“Oh, just that?” Sonic sighed in relief and Tails knew it’s not his fault because he didn’t know but it still hurt for it to be dismissed so casually. “Uh, sorry, bro, I know it’s important to you but at least, you’re safe-”  
“Sonic, I have to tell you something.”

Sonic’s furious and while Tails knows it’s not at him, he can’t help but flinch as Sonic interrupts himself midrant with an angry screech.  
Eggman’s demands came in an hour ago and Sonic had been mad ever since.  
Sonic in exchange for Tails’ life. A fair trade, according to the mad doctor.  
They should have known. A being centuries old and capable of controlling the wind itself, as well as one of Eggman’s biggest enemies, is a pretty big catch.  
Sonic had forced Tails to stay in bed after the first time he stumbled and coughed stimously.  
Tails had awhile but Sonic was a mother hen (ha) and was freaking out.  
Well, maybe a while is not an accurate measure of time. He had at most a month and at least two weeks, depending on the distance.  
Sonic would have reclaimed the charm again, either by force or by trickery, but  
Eggman wasn’t giving away his location and wouldn’t unless Sonic showed up alone.  
Tails demanded he not do it.  
Tails refused to be the reason his brother lost his freedom, forever.  
He refused.  
But Sonic was getting frantic and Tails was getting weaker and generally, that was not a good combination.

One day, Sonic woke up and seemed…. Calm. reasonable.  
He should have suspected but he was tired, having your soul separated from you does to you.  
Sonic made him breakfast in bed, his favorite, eggs and bacon, helped him get building while still in his room, checked him out books.  
Sonic acted how he normally would but ten times better. Tails should have recognized the signs.  
Sonic curled around him when he went to sleep. Sonic would’ve only done that when a thunderstorm was happening. He did it without any prompting from Tails.

Tails woke up alone and with the charm on his bedside table, window shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please a comment and/or kudos.


	19. If I Don't Go To Hell When I Die, I Might Go To Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an continuation of last chapter.  
> I'm going to be receiving school work and i actually wanna get some sleep so Ill update less. 
> 
> Sonic is trapped in a cage and a body he loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, did you know that exercise is good for you? Take a walk! Do some jump-rope! Hula hoop! Walk the dog! It's good for you!
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos! Tip: I am so mad all the time! I love you!

“Ah, Sonic!” Eggman greeted eagerly as Sonic wretched his arm away from Metal Sonic. “Almost thought you wouldn’t come!”  
“Can it, Egghead,” Sonic snarled. “Tails’ charm.”  
Eggman blinked at Sonic’s hostile attitude before smiling, leaning on his chair with a mocking air of grace.  
“Now, now, Sonic,” the round man purred. “That’s no way to act! Don’t you want to be a good example? What’s the magic word?”  
“What?” Sonic spat out. Metal walked over to Eggman, the man handing the machine the charm.  
Sonic’s breath caught in his throat.  
It wasn’t just a little bead like he had thought, it was a galaxy, swirling and twirling in its own little universe.   
“Beg, hedgehog.” Eggman ordered. When Sonic remained silent, Eggman motioned to Metal.   
The metal copycat started squeezing the charm.  
“Stop!” Sonic cried before cringing at what he was about to say. “Please stop.”  
Metal stopped and Eggman motioned Sonic to go on.  
“Just- You have me, alright? Do with me what you want but, please,” Sonic begged. “Don’t hurt them. Don’t hurt my family, please.”  
“Don’t hurt them?” Eggman asked, pointing out the wording. Sonic nodded.  
“I.. won’t fight. I won’t struggle,” Sonic said, slowly, hesitantly. Tails and him weren’t the only magical ones. Shadow was a genie, Amy too if only by her mother. Knuckles was technically a demi god of some sort, Vanilla and Cream were those winged rabbits, he didn’t know what Rouge and Silver were, if anything, but he wasn’t risking it. “I’ll do what you say, I won’t run. Just leave them alone.”

“No attempts to escape? Or to reach out to your friends for help?” Eggman questioned.  
Sonic shook his head. Eggman’s grin grew maniacally. “Deal.”  
Sonic glanced at Metal and Eggman got the message.  
“Oh right,” Eggman waved to Metal. “Metal, return the brat’s necklace to him. I don’t care how you do it.”  
Metal took off, leaving Sonic and Eggman more alone than before. 

Sonic watched Eggman with a wary sort of fear. Eggman leaned behind his chair to his console, hitting a few buttons.  
Next to Sonic, a small platform rose, holding what appeared to be a collar.  
Sonic jumped back at its sudden appearance before forcing himself to calm down.  
“Put it on.” Eggman ‘encouraged’. Sonic hesitated for only a moment before reaching for it.  
“It’s a little snug,” he commented, putting it on around his neck, hating how it seemed to almost cut into his flesh. “Does it do something or is it just-”

When Sonic shifted to hedgehog or bird or even just the breeze, it was slow, moving muscles, adjusting sizes, sorting feathers and quills until there was more than one or other. It wasn’t just a straight to and through, that would tear and regrow muscles and basically wreck his body. 

So yeah, he felt like every nerve had been dipped in acid as he tore apart practically every part of his body, his gloves and his favorite pairs of socks (they had elephants on the soles :( ).  
Maybe his clothing was the wrong thing to focus on but it was that or the pure torture of feeling his own body collapse under the stress of transformation and heal just as quickly. 

It hurt, it hurt, oh Gaia, it hurt so much-!

Sonic raised his head to the sky, unfurling his wings and screamed, a horrid sound that echoed in the metal base and chilled every hair on Eggman’s nose.  
The mad doctor stood up, gaping up at the towering bird.   
“Fascinating!” Eggman cried, clapping his hands together. “Not only has your size changed but so quickly as well! Oh, I can’t wait to study you! It’s been some time since I’ve gotten my hands dirty with live subjects!”  
Sonic screeched at him, pain and fury mixing up in his muddled head.  
Eggman tutted at him, shaking a finger.  
“Now, Sonic, I thought you were a hedgehog, or, rather, bird, of your word! I’d hate to worsen poor Tails’ condition, let alone take advantage of your precious friends. I know they are not exactly textbook normal, hm?” Eggman scolded him, stepping to his console and grabbing a small remote. “Besides! I own you now.”  
He hit a button and it burned, it burned, it burned!  
Eggman released his hold of the button, Sonic nearly collapsing in relief. Eggman snapped his fingers and a spotlight came on, landing on a certain part of the floor.   
“Stand there.” Eggman ordered. Sonic screeched but complied, haywire feathers dragging on the cold metal floor.  
Sonic blinked rapidly in the light of the spotlight, craning his neck to peer through the darkness to see Eggman.   
A squeak of metal sounded above Sonic and he looked up just in time for a metal bird cage to land on top of him.  
He screamed again, his wings bumping against the cage, his beak clicking against the bars, in general, he was squashed.

Trapped. He was trapped. He had to change, become a hedgehog once more.

…...Why wasn’t he changing? Why was Sonic not shifting? He could feel his body trying to but something was stopping him.

“Oh, don’t even consider trying to morph or whatever, rat,” Eggman giggled like he was a crushing schoolgirl and not a megalomaniac. “The collar will keep all your parts in the position I want them and I’m rather bored with quills, aren’t you?”

Oh Chaos. OH CHAOS. He was trapped, trapped, trapped, trapped in this body, trapped in this cage, trapped in this base.  
He couldn’t breathe, why couldn’t he breathe, he had to get out, had to get free-!

Eggman stepped back, watching Sonic flail in his mockingly shaped bird cage, screams and screeches filling the air, wings and beak brushing and hitting every part of the containment.  
Ah, he was glad Sonic was still putting up a fight. It was so amusing.  
“I’d get comfortable, hedgehog,” Eggman teased. “You’re going to be here for a long, long time.”

Four months, twenty-one days, and seven hours.   
Sonic had started counting at first in order to give himself something to do but now, it burned at his soul.  
That’s how long he had trapped here, like this.  
He missed flying. He missed running. He missed having arms and legs. He missed the feeling of the wind under his feathers.  
Sonic wondered how Tails was.   
The itch came back and automatically, Sonic reached over and tore a clump of feathers out of his back, the sting temporarily dulling the ache in his legs for standing for long and the emptiness in his stomach.   
He let out a sad trill, hating how it lacked words to express the utter boredom and despair he was trying desperately to escape from.   
He curled up tighter in his small cage, exhaustion making his eyes close.

There was a thud and Sonic shot up, banging his head on the cage.  
He let out a weak screech at the cause of the sound, annoyed.  
His blurry eyes picked out three blobs, one pink, one red, and one black.  
They were saying something, but Sonic didn’t care, Eggman wanted to do another aerial exam and he wanted to get some sleep while he could.

Amy stared up at the blue, sickly bird.  
“THAT’s Sonic?” she asked Knuckles. The ‘echidna’ nodded, frowning.  
“Yes but he looks terrible so I’m guessing he had an equally terrible four months.” he said, walking up to the cage.  
Amy couldn’t stop staring. She had only seen Sonic like this once and then he was a radiant beacon of freedom, his blue feathers flashing in the sun as he soared across the finish line.   
This was nothing like that.  
His eyes were dull, he had bald patches, he looked tired, sick, and crushed, physically and mentally, and, lord, it was wrong.  
“Enough talk, let’s get him out!” Amy said, her hammer already in her hands as she marched over to the console.  
“Amy, wait, we don’t-'' Knuckles said but it was too late, the console was smashed with the fury of a half genie 12 year old who needed to release her anger more often.   
The cage fell apart, Knuckles and Shadow barely able to avoid the falling bits. They glared at Amy, who only had eyes for Sonic.  
The bird stared at the floor before taking a tentative step away from the spot it was forced to stand in, wobbling on weak legs.  
“Hey, Sonic.” Knuckles said, relieved. Shadow watched with a face covered in an emotion Amy couldn’t decipher.   
Sonic knelt his head down, seeming to analyze Knuckles before letting out an relieved whistle, nudging the guardian with his beak. Knuckles laughed, pushing it away.   
“Alright, geez, good to see you too,” he said. “Now you need to change back, we can’t get you out like this!”  
Sonic let out a weak cry and drooped. Shadow frowned.  
“I don’t think he can.” Shadow said, pointing. Sonic stretched out his neck, revealing a tight metal collar underneath.  
Amy gasped, covering her mouth. Knuckles growled.  
“Not just a cage, but a collar keeping him in one body? How sick can you get?” Knuckles asked, not expecting an answer. “C’mon, Sonic, let’s get that off of you.”  
Sonic leaned his neck down and Knuckles reached over and ripped it off like a sticker off an apple.  
No one expected Sonic’s reaction.  
He screamed, his body visibly shifting, a bird’s cry turning into a recognizable voice.  
Sonic fell, trembling but a hedgehog once more, patches in his fur where’d he torn feathers and cuts and bruises littered over his body, clearly malnourished. There was a bloody mark around his neck and Amy was horrified.  
What did Eggman do to him?!  
Knuckles scooped him up, clearly furious.   
“Shadow.” Knuckles said quietly. “Get us out of here before I do something I regret please.”  
Shadow didn’t need to be told twice and in a minute, they were outside Sonic’s house. 

Tails jolted at the familiar sound and sensation of nearby teleportation and dashed to the window, throwing it open.  
Knuckles had something small and blue in arms and Amy was reaching out to it, almost crying, and Shadow was looking away and, oh Chaos, is that-  
“Sonic!” Tails cried, turning and running down the stairs from his room.

Tails?  
The voice cut through the fog in Sonic’s brain, bringing him back to reality.   
….Why did Amy have a limp? Why was Shadow’s fur burnt on the back of his head? Why did Knuckles have a black eye?

No. No, no, no, no, he promised, Eggman, that bastard, he told himself it was worth it for them but they were hurting too and he was in a cage being useless, that lier, that monster-!  
Someone was touching him and flinched away, avoiding the contact.  
Sonic failed, he failed, he failed his friends, his family, Tails, oh lord, he’s sorry, he’s so sorry!

Tails winces when Sonic flinches away.  
“Yup, he’s got a fever,” Tails says as calmly as possible. “Bring him in.”  
For a minute, Tails thought Knuckles was carrying Sonic’s body, until he noticed the shivering and the crying.   
Tails watched as Knuckles walked inside, hand tight around his charm, the charm Sonic gave himself up for, praying that Sonic was alright.

Sonic woke up in his room, in his bed, in the body he chose in order to love the world better, and he woke up with a crazy headache.  
He sat up with a groan, rubbing the bridge between his eyes.  
“Sonic?” someone he loved said and his ears pricked up. Tails stood in the doorway of his room, a bowl of soup in his hands.   
“Tails!” Sonic said, relieved. He struggled free of his blankets, stumbling over to his little brother. “Are you okay?”  
“Am I okay?” Tails repeated slowly before his face grew angry. Oh no. “Am I okay?!”  
Sonic backed up, Tails following closely behind.   
“How dare you! You were trapped, tortured, experimented on for four months and you have the gall to ask if I’m okay?!” Tails shouted, tears budding in his eyes. Sonic landed on his tail, back on the bed. “I searched everywhere for you! I made thousands of machines hoping one would lead to you! Everyone acted like I was glass! The public blamed me since everyone knew it was basically my life for yours! Do you know how that felt, to be the one to blame for your brother’s disappearance?! I thought I’d lost you forever!”  
With those last words, Tails collapsed on Sonic with a sob. Sonic caught him, speechless.  
“I can’t even be really mad at you. You were just trying to help. You were just trying to do what’s right. That’s what you’ve always done, no matter the consequences,” Tails cried, burying his face in Sonic’s chest, relishing the comforting way Sonic’s fingers combed through his fur. “I thought you were dead and that it was my fault…..”  
Sonic shushed him, pulling Tails into his arms.   
“Hey, it’s okay, you’re okay, I’m okay,” Sonic assured quietly, barely louder than Tails’ broken sobs. “Everything’s gonna be okay from here on out, I’m not going anywhere, alright? It’s okay.”

“I’m home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment and/or kudos.


	20. Growing Roots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I wrote another Sonic Snow White thing, shut up, oh my gosh  
> YOU THINK I LIKE HOW THIS IS THE LIFE I LEAD  
> GOD HAD TO NERF ME SOMEHOW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, do your homework. It's important to keep up your education, dudes and dudettes and dudxs. 
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos if you enjoyed this! I refuse to think about bad things because then I'll panic for weeks! Love you!

So it turns out there wasn’t any room for Sonic to sleep in the house or in the bed but luckily, Sonic was used to sleeping in not so fantastic places and they had a hammock so it all worked out!  
Sonic learned a fair bit about the group during dinner, delicious chili dogs warming their stomachs and their hearts.  
They were helping Knuckles, who was an echidna, wow, look for these green shards of some sort of giant magical emerald which sounded silly but kind of important!  
They faced a lot of resistance and they would look everywhere alllll day, which was why they were so tired and their house was such a mess!   
Luckily, Sonic couldn’t really go anywhere without risking having his survival be discovered so he could take care of their house for the seven! It all worked out!  
Amy had also appointed one of them to stay with him every day so he got to talk to actual people! How crazy is that?! Ol’ Egghead had orders for no one to really talk to him so he either had to sneak around or talk to animals.  
Horses weren’t good conversationalists, to be honest.  
So, yeah, actual people, actual conversations! 

Cream leaned over the pot, watching the vegetables float around in the delicious broth. She licked her lips and looked over to where Sonic was reading and Amy was napping.   
She slowly reached over to the ladle, hungry for a taste. With a single smooth motion, the young rabbit had a ladle of soup raised to her lips. She tilted her head back, relishing the warm soup melting down her throat to her stomach, the flavor delicious and familiar.  
Just like Mama’s…..  
“Is it good?” Sonic asked, suddenly behind her. Cream jolted, tossing the ladle as far away as possible. Sonic blinked before laughing at her reaction. “Haha, sorry, Cream! Didn’t mean to startle you!”  
“I-It’s fine, Mr. Sonic, I should’ve asked!” Cream said, hands behind her back. “Where did you learn to cook?”  
“Oh,” Sonic picked the ladle up. “There used to be this cook in the castle. Before she left to look for her family, she taught me how to cook!”  
“That’s very kind of her!” Cream said, sitting at the table where her crayons and paper awaited her focus’ return.   
“Ha, yeah,” Sonic said, hanging the ladle back up. “Vanilla was the best.”  
“Van...Vanilla?” Cream said after a moment of silence, eyes tearing up. “That’s-! That’s my momma!”  
Amy woke up to Sonic panicky comforting a sobbing Cream.  
“What did you do, Sonic?” Amy asked, angry. Sonic winced and shrugged.  
“He-he mentioned my momma!” wailed Cream. Amy’s rage instantly flared up even more. Cream’s mother was a sore subject. Nevermind the fact he probably didn’t know that.  
“Wait, you’re Vanilla’s kid?” Sonic said, surprised. He smiled brightly. “Oh man, that’s why you were familiar! Your mom’s been looking everywhere for you!”  
“She-she has?” Cream sniffled out. Sonic nodded.  
“Yeah! Why, what did you think happened?”   
“I thought… i thought…”  
“Oh,” Sonic winced. “Well, I promise, last I saw her, she was fine! She’s probably still looking for you! Ya know, I can look into finding a way of contacting her for you?”  
“You would,” Cream rubbed her little face. “You would do that? For me? I’d hate to bother you. It’s why I haven’t mentioned it to the others.”  
Oh. Amy flinched. They had all gotten caught up in helping Knuckles, that they didn’t consider if anyone else needed some help. She should check on that.  
“Well, I’m sure if you brought it up, they would’ve jumped at the chance, right?” Sonic looked up at Amy for that.  
“Of course, Cream,” Amy said. “I’d have been happy to help you look for your mother.”  
Cream smiled and looked at the two ‘hogs. She hugged Amy.  
“Thank you.” she said softly.  
“No problem, Cream,” Amy wrapped an arm around the little rabbit. Her face crinkled. “Is something burning?”  
“THE SOUP!” Sonic screeched, running into the kitchen. 

Knuckles huffed from his stump.   
“Hey, I don’t want you here either!” whined Tails, the machine in his hands making beeps that matched his tone. “I don’t know why Amy made you come when Sonic and Silver are both here!”  
“Hey, I’m just keeping an eye on Sonic, Knuckles is watching you.” Silver said, relaxing in the grass. Sonic was off in the distance, appearing to be picking flowers. “Too completely different jobs.”  
They all knew the truth; Amy was worried about Knuckles. He got cranky when he didn’t find anything for a long while and Knuckles hadn’t found anything for a long time.  
“Hey!” Sonic beamed at them and Silver and Tails couldn’t help but smile too. “So, listen, I know this is childish and all but I made everyone flower crowns sooooo.”  
In a blink of an eye, the three were crowned in floral decorations, lopsided and barely fitting.   
“Oh, wow! This is beautiful, Sonic!” Silver said excitedly, adjusting it. Knuckles growled and tore his off, tossing the crown to the ground.  
“Whoa, sorry, pal!” Sonic raised his hands, four more crowns wrapped around his arm. “Didn’t know you’re allergic to pollen.”  
Knuckles huffed and turned away.  
“....and allergic to fun. A real stick in the mud.”  
Knuckles wheeled back around, teeth bared. Sonic just smiled smugly back, the picture of annoying.  
“You little-!” Knuckles dove for Sonic, the blue hedgehog just stepping to the side. Knuckles swung again, Sonic twirling away. “Hold still!”  
Tails and Silver watched in concern at the one sided fight. Knuckles was a heavy hitter and normally didn’t think about his actions while agitated. They had been meaning to talk to him about it but no one knew how.  
“Aw, c’mon, Red, I’m sure-” Sonic started and it probably would have been very insulting and goading if Knuckles didn’t hit him in the face at that exact moment.   
Sonic’s head flailed to the side and he fell on his back.  
No one could see his expression but they could see him spat out some blood to the side.  
Knuckles stood over him, anger sapping from his shoulders as he realized he probably just made Sonic lose a tooth or two.  
“Sonic, I-”  
“Feeling better?”   
“....What?” Knuckles panted, backing up. Sonic looked up at him with a bloody grin.  
“I heard them talking about you and I figured, hey, it works for the knights, why not you?” Sonic motioned to the two still watching. “Though probably the most healthy method though, right?”  
Silver sighed in relief. Tails smiled before turning back to his tracker.  
Knuckles didn’t say anything but he did help Sonic back to his feet and to remake the other flower crowns that didn’t get crunched.

“We’re going out!” Rouge called out, her and Shadow already halfway through the door.   
“Oh, hey, can I go with you? There’s a place I wanna stop by.” Sonic said, placing down his book. Rouge glanced at Shadow, who avoided eye contact, before nodding.  
Sonic pumped his fist before hopping over the couch, grabbing a cloak up and following.

They had been walking in town for five minutes and Sonic hadn’t separated or asked where they were going and it was getting on Shadow’s nerves.   
The blue hedgehog may have won everyone over but Shadow was not so easily bought. Shadow didn’t trust him. Surely someone with a history like the prince’s would be more…. angry, would perhaps be the word.   
And yet, Sonic seemed so…..unphased. It didn’t seem right. Shadow carried his loss and grief like a medal, proof that life could not break Shadow the Ultimate Lifeform that easily. He did not scream out his pain but it felt impossible to hide it.  
Rouge was oblivious to the tension as they walked. Shadow gritted his teeth.  
“So where did you even need to go?” Rouge asked casually.  
“The graveyard.” Sonic said just as casually.   
Oh.  
“Oh, us too!” Rouge said a little too excitedly. “Visiting anyone or are you just the creepy hangout fellow?”  
“Oh, visiting my parents, you?” Sonic smiled at them and Shadow felt a burning rage increase.  
His parents were beloved by all! They were the king and queen for crying out loud! His parents and he acted like he was going shopping for carrots.  
“It’s my sister’s birthday today,” Shadow said coldly, Rouge gasping quietly. “I like to visit her resting place on such an occasion.”  
Shadow expected Sonic to act like he normally did, casual and dismissive, but instead Sonic seemed to switch completely, a bleeding heart of sympathy and condolences.  
“Oh, oh my gosh, I am so sorry for your loss,” he said, green eyes looking at him with concern. “I wasn’t aware that- oh my gosh, I didn’t know, do you want me to leave you guys alone?”  
“I believe you were visiting your parents?” Shadow raised an eyebrow. Sonic laughed and waved dismissively.  
“Hey, if they can wait five or so years for a visit, they can wait one more day.”  
Shadow couldn’t bring himself to say another word without getting furious. 

They went their separate ways at the graveyard, Sonic going to one end and Shadow and Rouge to the other.  
“It’s like he doesn’t even care, Rouge! I don’t understand how one can have a life like his and not even care!” Shadow seethed as they walked. Rouge frowned but nodded. She had found it a little odd herself but it didn’t bug nearly as much as it did Shadow.  
“Hun, not everyone deals with grief the same way.” Rouge tried to calm him but failed.  
“I know that but he’s not dealing with it all!” Shadow snarled. “He’s- he’s-!”  
Shadow sighs and rests his head in his hands.  
“....Can I go alone from here? I know there’s a jewelry store you’d rather visit.”  
Rouge frowned but left, understanding this was a private affair.  
She spied Sonic as she left, he was sitting cross legged in front of two headstones and speaking rather animatedly.   
She looked away before he could notice her and left with a flap of her leathery wings. 

Shadow wiped his face as he walked away. He always ended up crying at her grave.   
“-and I’ve met these guys, right? They’re a lot of fun and I really think I can trust them!”   
Shadow’s ears flicked up at that faker’s voice. Who was he talking to? Friends at a graveyard? Had he no respect?  
Shadow growled as he stormed over to where he heard Sonic talking.  
“Who are you talking to so lou-” Shadow stopped.   
Sonic turned from where he was sitting.  
“Oh, Shades, hey! I was just talking about you!” Sonic said cheerfully. Shadow’s eyes flickered between his face and the two graves.

Queen Aleena The Third. 1980-2011.  
Prince Jules Hegeh. 1978-2011.

Sonic’s parents. 

“Shades? Shadster?” Sonic asked the now awkward feeling hedgehog with mildly growing concern. “Shadow? You home upstairs?”  
“Oh, um, I’m sorry to disturb you, I wasn’t-” Shadow sputtered out and, wow, Shadow, really coherent over there, good job.   
“Oh, no, no, you’re fine!” Sonic assured. “Wanna take a seat?”  
No, Shadow didn’t, he’d rather sit next to one of the most emotionally constipated hedgehogs he had ever met in front of the graves of the previous rulers of the now tyrant ruled land but he did anyway.  
The two hedgehogs sat in silence for a bit.  
“....You don’t seem sad.” Shadow said quietly.  
“What’s there to be sad about?” Sonic questioned, tilting his head.  
“They were your parents,” Shadow motioned to the graves in front of them. “And they were murdered when you were very young. Doesn’t it bother you?”  
“That’s just it, Shadow. I was very young, I don’t,” Sonic paused as if gauging Shadow’s reaction. “I don’t really remember them.”  
That hit Shadow like a truck. He knew that feeling. He knew that. He forgot Maria and now he clung to every memory of her, of every memory of his friends, to make sure it never happened again.   
“....Oh.” Shadow said slowly. “Does that bother you?”  
“.......” Sonic looked away from him. “I don’t have time to let it bother me.”  
Shadow hissed quietly.   
“I mean, what with the whole having to leave my home and trust my life with seven strangers,” Sonic turned back, smile returned to his face, listing things on his fingers. “Hoping Baldy McNoseHair doesn’t get everyone murdered, wondering if they think I abandoned them or if they think I’m dead, worrying that the only two robots who may know I’m actually alive might rat me out, worried that I’m going to get the first people I’ve properly talked to in years might end up dead because of me-”  
Shadow watched with a horrifying feeling of nostalgia as Sonic seemed to unravel before his eyes.  
How had Rouge described him when they first met? A few knots short a yarn ball?   
Sonic took a sharp inhale, pulling a smile back on his face.  
“I don’t think I have the mental capacity to stress over anything else,” Sonic said with what now seemed to be a fabricated calm. “Not if I wanna leave any room for, ya know, not letting despair get the best of me and staying strong.”  
Sonic stood and started walking away.  
“Well, I’m pretty much done here if ya ready to go!”  
Shadow stood and hurried after Sonic, grabbing his arm. Sonic looked back.  
“Sonic, that’s, I’m the last person who should be saying this to you, I’m barely better but, Sonic, I’ve been where you are, not exactly but similar in some aspects, you shouldn’t bottle all that u[p, it’s not healthy.” Shadow scrambled to say, ending up instead spouting out the worst emotional advice Shadow had given in his life.   
Why is it so much easier to hate people than help them? Or was that just him?  
“I know, I just,” Sonic sighed. “I don’t know how to stop now.”  
Shadow looked away.  
Sonic gently took Shadow’s hand in his and Shadow looked up to meet his eyes.  
“But thanks for caring. You guys are the first to in years.” Sonic said with the realest smile Shadow had seen on his face ever.  
“Yeah. No problem.” Shadow managed out, pulling his hand back.   
“Boys!” Both turned to see Rouge waving at them at the gate. “Ready to go?”  
“Be right there!” Sonic called and the mask was back and more clear to Shadow than ever. “Please don’t mention this to anyone. Please?”  
Shadow hesitated but nodded. He had asked the same of Rouge once.  
“Race ya back!” Sonic said cheerfully before smiling smugly. “Unless you think you’re going to lose?”  
Oh, it’s on.  
“Hmph. I’ll leave you in my dust, princeling.” Shadow retorted, getting into a running stance.   
“Ugh, you two can’t get along for two minutes, can you?” Rouge groaned.  
“Nope!” Sonic winked at Shadow before taking off. Shadow scoffed before running after.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright by yourself?” Amy asked for the twentieth time as she walked out the door. Sonic laughed.  
“I’ll be fine, Ames! I’m older than you, remember?” Sonic teased, flicking her hair into her eyes. Amy frowned and blew it out.   
“Rose isn’t a wanted man, Hedgehog.” Shadow retorted, avoiding eye contact.  
“Yeah, at the first sign of trouble, you better call us, Mr. Sonic!” Cream sternly said. Tails nodded equally stern. Sonic laughed again but nodded.  
“First sign of trouble, promise.” Sonic smiled, holding a hand over his heart as a symbol.   
“Alright, Big Blue, don’t have too much fun!” Rouge warned teasingly, Knuckles shoving a cell phone in his hands.   
“Call if you need anything.” Knuckles grouched out the door.  
“Take care, Sonic!” Silver yelled as they vanished into the forest growth.   
“Be safe!” Sonic called out to them.  
He waited until they were gone to move from the window, giggling as he ran into the kitchen.  
Sure, he knew at this point he didn’t need to do stuff to get them to at least tolerate him but he wanted to make them a treat anyway! He’d enjoy making it and eating it and them enjoying it, it’d be great!  
But what to make….  
Oh!  
He’d make apple pie!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please leave a comment and/or kudos.


	21. Fallen Apple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thrilling conclusion to my Snow White Sonic au. I'm actually proud of this one. 
> 
> Sonic is alone and meets a 'repentant' Eggman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, now is a great time to learn a new skill if you feel like it. Knitting, baking, lock picking, gardening! You got all the time in the world, because it might end!
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or kudos! I want to run away but I refuse to leave my siblings behind! Love you!

Eggman hated the prince.  
Hated his cool nickname.   
Hated his stupid smile.  
Hated his carefree nature.  
Hated how easily he bounced back from everything the tyrant king threw at him.  
Eggman had had a pretty tragic childhood himself, an orphan of a disgraced line of ‘magicians’, hated and unwanted everywhere. It was all so chaotic and disordered!  
He decided he would be the one to bring order and restore honor to the Robotnik name.   
He saw his chance when the Queen was looking for an advisor.  
He saw his chance when the king, or prince, whatever, left his drink in the room unattended.   
He saw his chance when the Queen needed a husband.   
He saw his chance when the Queen and her son caught ‘ill’.  
Eggman took the throne in the year 2011, and held the kingdom in an iron grip.   
He was so focused on preparing the kingdom for war, training soldiers, making machines of destruction, he did not realize the prince survived.  
Survived and knew what he did to his parents, despite only being five years old. The little brat talked about how ‘Mr. Doctor Ivo gave Mommy and Daddy and me something funny to drink and it made me feel sick. I threw it up but Mommy didn’t wanna be rude.’  
Ooooo, how infuriating could a child get? Eggman thought if he tossed him a broom, forced him to live with the lowly servants, made his life a living hell without angering anyone, then the little tike would crumble and bend to his will.  
Oh, how wrong he was once.  
The boy got even more insufferable!  
Sonic, as the peasants called him, got in his way, halted his war plans, protected the people, and was a general nuisance.

He had to go.

EXCEPT THAT DIDN’T WORK EITHER.

“...And alas, the prince is dead.” Eggman announced, doing his best to look sad and not giddy. “He attempted to flee to the nearby kingdom of Corona and was accidently killed by border control.”   
The crowd in the courtyard, beneath the balcony which he stood, bubbled with murmurs and exclamations of surprise. He could practically see the resistance crumbling without their precious little prince.  
“No!” cried out a voice from the crowd. “That can’t be true! Sonic would never leave us! You probably killed him, like you did the true king and queen!”   
“Yeah!”  
“You’re a tyrant and a murderer!”  
“Down with the Egg Tyrant!”   
Eggman frantically retreated, sending his machines to silence the crowd but it was too late, the seeds had been planted.  
They didn’t believe that he was dead, or that he’d try to leave.   
They were only right about one thing but still it irked him.

“Scratch, Grounder?” Eggman said. “I want you to retrieve the prince’s body.”  
The two robots glanced at each other.  
“..the...body, your rottenness?” Grounder said slowly.   
“Yes,” Eggman said, not turning to them. “It’s the only way to prove his demise.”  
“Well, we would love to, your awfulness,” Scratch nervously clucked out. “But….”  
Eggman turned to them, his eyes hidden under his glasses.  
“But?” he asked calmly.

Eggman kicked the chicken’s head away, angrily muttering as he stormed past the robot remains and down to his laboratory.   
Great, the bother wasn’t even dead. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be hard to find him.  
“Metal!” he called out to his greatest creation and greatest failure. The blue copycat was an attempt to win the kingdom’s heart and thus their loyalty. Metal failed but he was an excellent assistant, war machine, and stool. “Send out the drones.”  
The hedgehog shaped metal abomination let out a long beep before turning over and pulling a lever, releasing egg shaped drones into the skies. They flew out with a single objective; find Sonic. 

Eggman watched the camera with unhidden glee as Sonic was left in that pretty little cottage….alone.  
“Oh, Sonic….. I’m looking forward to killing you.” Eggman chuckled. Yes, it was annoying he was alive at all but, hey, he’d kinda wanted to kill the nuisance himself.  
The question was how to do it?  
Eggman looked around the lab.   
“Hm…. all of these aren’t right,” he mused. “I want something with a more… personal touch.”  
A light hit his eyes and he turned to the source.  
In a glass container, a grey replica of the fabled Chaos Emeralds sat innocently.   
Back in Eggman’s first days, he had attempted to replicate the Chaos Emerald in the Royal Vault. He had tested it on a Chaos sensitive person, the person attempting to use it similarly to how the real miracle gem was used.  
He had fallen into a coma so deep they thought he was dead. He had only awoken when the Royal Chaos Emerald was brought to him.  
What were the chances would it be that those idiots he’d need to execute later would find a Chaos Emerald before his body shut down for good? Or before they buried him. Alive.   
He wouldn’t even need to do anything! They’d kill their precious prince themselves and he could finally get his little problem all taken care of with a pretty little bow.  
He’d just have to give the false gem a fresh coat in order for it to work…….

Sonic hummed as he worked, his quills pulled up in a makeshift bun. His ungloved hands were caked in flour and dough and cinnamon, having made six out of seven pies.   
This one, this one was for Knuckles! He had noticed the echidna losing heart and a fresh pie had always brought up his spirits!  
“....Must keep on moving ahead….” Sonic sing-mumbled, chopping another apple. “No time for guessing, follow my plan instead….”  
The turtle and rat family sat on the table nearby, bathing in the sunlight from the open window. They weren’t the only audience to this one person concert but they were the only ones listening publicly. Birds swooped low as they flew by, deer snoozing perked their ears.   
This part of the woods were normally silent of any new voices so the wildlife was curious about their friend’s singing ability.   
“....Trusting in what you can’t see….” Sonic hummed as he pulled free the last pie tin, nudging the box turtle onto the much larger snapping turtle’s back. “Take my lead, I’ll set you free….!”  
Sonic finished up the pie and placed it in the oven, next to three still cooking pies. He pulled out one of the five inside out, placing it on the counter. Now he only had to wait thirty minutes to pull out this fresh one, twenty on the one he put in before this one, ten for the one before that, and five for the one before that.  
Geez! Baking individual pies for seven people were hard!  
“Follow me, set me free, trust me,” Sonic sang out loud, pulling off the oven mitts. “And we will escape from the c- AH!”  
Sonic jumped back, for his eyes had met the circular glasses of one King Ivo ‘Eggman’ Robotnik. He tensed up, reaching for the walkie talkie.  
“W-Wait, please! J-Just hear me out!” Eggman cried out from the windowsill, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. “I-I came here to make amends!”  
Sonic’s hand stopped, the turtles attempting to nudge it closer to his open palm.   
“Make…. Amends?” Sonic questioned, tentatively pulling from the walkie talkie, to the turtle and rat family’s displeasure.   
“Yes, yes!” Eggman nodded eagerly, laughing internally at Sonic’s trusting nature. He didn’t understand forgiveness or second chances. He didn’t understand that people could change, become better. He only knew they could get worse.  
Sonic knew better but at this time, he was horribly wrong.   
Some people can not, no, will not change. Eggman would never change.  
But that is not something Sonic knew yet, so he fell hook, line, and sinker.  
“Oh, wow!” Sonic beamed, stepping closer to the window. The turtles squawked in protest, the soft shell scrambling as fast as it could to the walkie talkie. “I’m glad you’ve turned over a new leaf! But why are you here?”  
“I don’t deserve to rule! The people need a good and kind ruler, someone, someone like you!” Eggman fibbed. Time for the finishing touches. “As a sign of good will, I brought….”  
He set the ‘Chaos Emerald’ on the window sill. Sonic gasped, eyes wide.   
“The Royal Chaos Emerald?! Wow, you aren’t messing around!” Sonic gaped, picking up the false gem. He winced, his natural levels of Chaos Energy reacting harshly to the thing. “It feels strange.”   
“Ah, yes, that’s because it hasn’t been used in a very long time!” Eggman scrambled up an excuse. The other turtles gave up on attempting to call Sonic back, the three and their rat dad joining the soft shell in their attempt to contact the seven others. “It’s what brought me to my senses, everyone pointing out how I had disregarded history led me to think about all the harm I’ve done and I was overcome with guilt!”  
Sonic nodded, half listening as he examined the mystic jewel. A part of him screamed more and more in protest as he held it but he refused to put it down. It was just so beautiful!  
“You are aware of the magical properties of the Chaos Emeralds, correct?” Eggman asked. “If you make a wish, there’s a high chance it will come true. What would you wish for?”   
Sonic went to say nothing but to be honest…..  
The rat pushed over the talkie, the other turtles rolling it over to the soft shell.  
To be honest, there was so much he wanted to wish for. He had no idea if it would even work but if it did….  
The softshell looked over the buttons.  
Sonic already has everything he wants and with Eggman willing to redeem himself, Sonic had nothing to ask for.  
It pressed the talk button.  
Except….  
Static echoed and the turtles and rat chirped and squeaked at it.  
“I wish,” Sonic said, closing his eyes, feeling foolish. “That the gang would find what they’re looking for.”  
The emerald glowed and shook in his hands and it suddenly burned.  
“Ack-!” Sonic cried out, dropping the jewel. It shattered on the floor, the shards grey instead of the regal blue it was a minute ago. Sonic suddenly felt sick, like someone was sucking the very life from his bones. “What- what did you-”  
Sonic’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and crumpled to the ground. 

Eggman cackled as he broke open the door. He couldn’t leave any evidence behind.  
“Just as I hoped! Oh, I almost think you’re dead!” He chortled. “Oh, you broke the emerald…… Well, I can just make another. Oh, and make it so it actually kills chaos sensitive beings! Oh, Eggman, you beautiful genius!”  
While Eggman patted himself on the back, the soft shell eased off the talk button, the strange party of five listening for a reply. 

The walkie talkie had buzzed on a few minutes ago and Knuckles was staring at it for longer than usual.  
“What is it?” Amy questioned.   
“I’m not sure,” Knuckles shrugged. “It sounds like some animals got a hold of it.”  
“Really? I spent two whole weeks making these for emergencies and he uses them for pranks.” Tails groaned, still bitter from the Water Bucket Mayonnaise Surprise Incident. Cream shook her head vigorously, Cheese nearly falling off.  
“I know Mr. Sonic likes to joke but he would never use something Tails made for such a serious reason for laughs.” Cream protested and everyone had to agree. Sonic had treated all of the kitsune’s machines for exactly their uses. Of course, he had ideas that could stretch the limits of that use but just handing a radio to wildlife? That sounded a little too weak for his out of the box thinking.   
“Wait, be quiet.” Silver said suddenly, taking the walkie and pressing it to his ear. He was silent before raising his head, now worried. “I can hear voices.”  
“What are they saying?” Shadow asked.  
“I can’t tell,” Silver shook his head before offering it to Rouge. “You’ve got better hearing, do you mind?  
Rouge took it, listening closely before shaking her head.   
“I can’t hear anything clearly.” Rouge said. “Wait, I can, I can recognize them.”  
“Who is it?” Amy questioned. Rouge’s eyes widened.  
“It’s Sonic, he’s, he’s talking to Eggman!” 

The walkie talkie flared to life, Eggman jolting up.   
“Sonic?! Sonic?! We heard something fall, are you alright?! Sonic, say something!”   
Oh no, they were coming back already, he had to-

He turned to run and was met by an angry black and red 3’3 hedgehog.  
“What. are. You. doing?” the midget ‘hog growled out. Eggman stared at him for a minute before pushing him out of the way and running into the forest.   
“Get back here!” he shouted, chasing after him. 

Amy watched as Shadow chased what was presumably the mad tyrant himself into the woods. She didn’t bother trying to catch up, leaving that to Silver, Knuckles, and Rouge.  
Amy walked into a house that smelt delicious and found three things;   
Three finished apple pies on the counter.  
The family of turtles and a single rat surrounding the walkie talkie, trying to find some way off the table and down to the floor.  
Sonic crumbled on the floor, dead to the world.   
Amy was by him in a minute, already panicking.   
“Mr. Sonic? Ms. Amy? Is everything alright?” Cream called from outside. She stepped in and gasped, joining Amy. “Mr. Sonic?! Mr. Sonic?! Ms. Amy, what’s wrong with him?!”  
“I, I don’t know! He doesn’t look hurt but he’s, he isn’t breathing!”  
Tails came in just as she said and instantly came over to perform his own examination.   
“No, he’s breathing, it’s just hard to tell,” Tails said, holding his hand over Sonic’s mouth. “I don’t think he’s dead, he’s just…. unconscious.”   
“How do we wake him up?” Cream asked. Tails shrugged.  
“I’m not sure, you’d think falling face first would wake him up.” Tails fidgeted with his tails. “Try splashing water on his face?”  
Amy got up and grabbed a cup, filling it full of frigid cold water. She poured it on Sonic’s face.  
No reaction, not even a shiver.   
“Hit him.” Amy ordered. Cream gave him a little tap while Tails slapped him like the older hedgehog owed him money.   
Nothing.  
The trio looked at each other anxiously.   
“What did King Eggman do?”

Shadow’s shoes gave off sparks, the only reason for why the larger, older, and slower man was still ahead being the debris.   
Shadow was livid, hadn’t the tyrant caused enough damage to all of them?! What more could he want?!  
He could tell he was being followed, they weren’t really stealthy, but he didn’t care, he had to catch Eggman. He had to make sure he didn’t hurt anyone else!  
“GET BACK HERE!” Shadow roared.   
Eggman screamed in a high pitched girly voice and ran faster, tripping and stumbling away from Shadow’s deep rooted fury. Shadow didn’t usually release his rage, preferring to use it to motivate himself to think and act kindly.   
But people like Eggman…. People who couldn’t just leave the innocent alone…. People who hurt the people he cared about.

Eggman’s eyes landed on a mountain.  
Yes! That could work! It was getting dark, he could probably lose his pursuer in the twists and turns and darkness.  
Eggman plunged into the rocky landscape. His large shape and the darkness helped him blend into the rocks, angering and confusing Shadow.

Shadow dashed into a clearing, turning and turning, afraid to strike but refusing to give up.   
“Stop hiding, you coward!” Shadow screamed, his voice echoing in the rocky circle. Rouge landed next to him, the others finally having caught.   
“Shadow…. It’s over. We need to go back.” Rouge said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. He wretched away from her gentle touch.   
“No, he’ll, he’ll come back! He’ll hurt you all, he’ll hurt Sonic, Rouge, I,” he desperately pleaded with the bat. “I can’t lose any more people, not in this lifetime, Rouge.”  
Knuckles frowned, Silver looking away. This was wrong. This was all wrong. They shouldn’t be seeing this. None of this should be happening.   
“I know, hun, I know.” Rouge said soothingly. Shadow leaned forward, resting his head on her shoulder. Knuckles and Silver both stepped closer, placing a hand on Shadow’s back as a sign of sympathy and comfort.  
They huddled together in the darkness and uncertainty.

Eggman watched from cover, making a face at their disgusting exchanges. Ugh, he couldn’t wait to kill them.  
He glanced back at them, noting the circle of unstable boulders.  
…..Why wait? It would just take one tumbling rock to send the strongest members of the annoying seven to their doom.  
It’d be easy! Send a rock tumbling, kill them, go back to that quaint little cottage, kill them, and take Sonic as proof of his demise. Then, kill him, as slow and in any way he wants!   
Eggman held back a villainous chuckle.  
He crept slowly around the group before finding the perfect one to push to send them to their doom.  
But, oh, he could not help from gloating one last time.   
Oh, suckers!” He called out, all looking up at him. He wiggled his fingers before pushing the rock. “Toodle-O!”  
The boulder rolled down, followed by its companions, Eggman laughing all the while.  
“You jerk!” Silver cried, fed up with the king’s cruelty. His palms flared with a vibrant teal color, the rocks stopping completely in motion before suddenly rolling back in the opposite location.  
“Oh sh-” Eggman got out before he backed up off the mountain side, screaming as the boulders fell with him.  
Knuckles, Rouge, and Shadow starred in the direction of Eggman’s gruesome fate before turning their attention to Silver. The younger metal white hedgehog, while not happy, seemed somewhat satisfied with his actions.   
“We better go back.” Knuckles said after a minute. The others nodded, leaving the area as fast as possible.

“What’s wrong with him?” Silver asked as he stepped in, Knuckles instantly tensing besides him.   
“What the?!” Knuckles said before rushing over to the couch the trio had rested the comatose blue hedgehog on. “Where did, where’s his Chaos Energy?!”  
“His huh?” Amy questioned, watching as Shadow and Knuckles seemed to perform a frantic examination of Sonic.   
“Chaos Energy is sort of like the Force, it flows through most living things, though the amount varies from lifeform to lifeform,” Tails explained. “The highest known carrier of such energy is Knuckles’ very own Master Emerald while the lowest is humans, mostly.”   
“Sonic normally has a very high amount, especially for his age but that is common in the royal family,” Knuckles added, Rouge pulling a slowly more frantic Shadow away. “But right now, he has less than a human’s average amount!”   
“Is he going to…?” Cream asked quietly.   
“No, for now. It’s why he won’t wake up. He barely has enough to survive so in an attempt to save itself, his body has shut down to preserve energy. He’ll naturally regenerate it back but that takes time he doesn’t have, especially the amount his body requires.”   
Was Knuckles rambling in order to keep from panicking? Yes, yes he was.  
“But, but there’s gotta be something we can do!” Amy cried.  
“We can’t just stand by and watch him waste away!” Tails added anxiously.   
“Well, unless anyone here has one of the legendary Chaos Emeralds, I got nothin’!” Knuckles said solemnly.  
“Could we perform a transfer of some kind?” Shadow asked, Rouge instantly on guard.  
“Absolutely not, he could accidently suck all of the juice out of you! You’re barely stable and, sure as heaven above, ain’t thinking straight.”  
“Rouge- “ Shadow started before being cut rudely off.  
“You take off your rings for more than twenty minutes and pass out for a week, I don’t think so!”   
“Rouge, he’ll- “  
“I don’t wanna hear it! I am not losing two friends in one night.” 

“Wait, um,” Silver piped up. “What exactly does a Chaos Emerald look like?”  
“Uh, perfectly sculpted, one of seven colors, two blue, one white, one purple, one green, one red, and one gold, and why are you looking at me like that?” Knuckles raised an eyebrow. “Wait, Silver, do you have one?”  
“Maaaaybe? I thought it was just a pretty rock and put it with my other ones!”  
“Go get it, Silver!” Cream ordered. “It might be one!”  
Silver dashed up stairs, rummaged around his corner of his room before bolting back upstairs, legendary little blue emerald in hand.   
“What should I do with it?” Silver asked.  
“Just put it in his hands, his body should do the rest.” Knuckles stepped back, all watching anxiously as Silver placed the jewel in Sonic’s pale ungloved hand. 

Nothing happened and they felt their hearts break a little. 

“So…. that’s it?” Tails said slowly. “Nothing… nothing we can do?”  
Shadow growled and looked away, resting his face in Rouge’s fur, his back quills receiving a comforting pet by the older bat.   
Silver drooped and held a sniffling Cream.   
Knuckles shook his head.  
“I never… I never asked what his favorite color was or if he really enjoyed parties or how he felt about birthdays,” Amy mumbled into her hands, eyes wide. “What kind of cake did he like?”

“.....pies……”

“Silver, that wasn’t funny.” Amy said from her hand cocoon.   
“I-It wasn’t me!” Silver protested.  
“If it wasn’t you, then who-” Amy stopped, turning back to Sonic.  
Shadow dashed over to Sonic’s side.

His mouth was moving. Shadow leaned closer.  
“....get…..pies…...out……..oven.”

“Mr. Sonic, you’re okay!” Cream cried in relief, jumping from Silver’s arms to straight on Sonic’s stomach. Sonic sat up in response, slowly rising to wakefulness.  
“Ughh….am now. What happened?” Sonic groggily whipped his eyes, magical jewel still in his hand.  
“Eggman poisoned you, Big Blue.” Rouge noogied him. “You’re lucky you’re still alive.”  
“........Oh,” Sonic said slowly. “....disappointed but not surprised.”  
They all grouped around Sonic, some hugging, some hovering, and a few unmentioned tears.

“Oh no, my pies!” Sonic cried out. “I didn’t- !”  
“Don’t worry, I got you.” Amy reassured.  
The group enveloped into a group hug.

“We got you, Sonic.”  
“Thanks, guys.”

“Wait,” Sonic questioned, looking up from the group hug. “What about Eggman?”  
“I killed him!” Silver declared proudly.   
Silence reigned. 

“You did what?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and/or kudos!


	22. I Dodge The Blast And Apologize For Collateral Damage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria's death actually affects a lot of Sonic Canon if you think about it. What would happen if she survived? What would change? Who would be the hero? Who...  
> would be the villain? 
> 
> Hey, yeah, this is a role swap for Eggman and Maria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember, do your schoolwork! It may be hard, and boring, and kinda pointless, it is important to keep your grades up in order to get a good job in the future!
> 
> please leave a comment and/or kudos! One of my greatest fears are becoming as angry as my father! Love you!

The hedgehog was lightening quick, fire seeming to spread with every step he took.   
It was not from the speedster’s feet that fire emerged but the pursuit of him that lit the flames.  
“YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER, HEDGEHOG!” The older clad blue lady roared after the darker shade of blue hedgehog.  
Sonic ignored Doctor ‘Seed’ Robotnik’s taunts. He had better things to do than listen to some mad woman’s ramblings. He had to stop her machines, free the plants and animals, smile and wave for the annoying crowd of adoring fans, and check on his friends. And that was only half of the to-do list!  
Sonic leapt up, his speed allowing him to find temporary footing on the side of the glass building next to him and jump to the other and the other, five steps ahead the doctor who’s tunnel vision kept her from attacking anyone or anything else. She wanted to be sure she hit him, the perfectionist. Well, as long as no one else got hurt, Sonic was happy to be her target.  
He grit his teeth against a yelp as a lazor grazed his arm, sending a sharp, shooting feeling up his arm and through his body. He leaned to the right, tumbling to the concreted earth and instantly running once more.  
Doctor Maria ‘Seed’ Robotnik plowed through, cackling.   
The madwoman saw this little chase as absolute victory, not even considering that Sonic was leading her somewhere he could actually fight back, or even worse, a trap.

A shadowed figure watched silently from above before vanishing. 

“How’s the trap coming?” Sonic questioned his younger brother, Tails, on his Wrist Miles Electric. It staticed for a minute, before Tails’ voice was audible  
“It’s almost done! How close are you?” Tails crackled over the static.  
“About two minutes, that enough time? I can keep her attention for way longer if there are no distractions.”  
“No, that’s enough. In fact, I’ll be done in… one…” Sonic heard the crackle of energy and triumphant laughter. “THERE! We’re ready, bring her over!”   
“On my way!” Sonic said, turning his attention back to running. He picked up the pace.

The ground crackled with laser fire and blue sparks as Sonic ran with Doctor Robotnik in close pursuit. As he ran faster and faster, he left her behind with nothing but his footsteps to track him with.   
She’d done so with less before.  
Sonic skidded to a stop next to his kid brother, the two tailed fox not even looking up from his Miles Electric.   
“She’ll be here soon and it shouldn’t get much to gode her into the electric field-” Tails said before getting rudely interrupted.   
“Electric?!”   
Sonic sighed at the familiar voice.   
Shadow.  
Shadow was not an unpleasant person, he was actually a good conversationalist, a fantastic person to race, and an all around good person.   
The problem? Shadow was a Robotnik Apologist.  
They had some sort of…. shared history, some relation of long ago that had faded from the mad woman’s mind.   
Shadow was convinced that, somewhere, deep down, Doctor Robotnik was good.   
The monster who placed innocent creatures inside machines, who concocted horrible amalgamations of life and metal, who hurt innocent lives again and again until her insatiable lust for power was temporarily filled before she hungered and restarted aaaaallllll of the pain anew.  
It was a perspective Sonic admittedly didn’t have much patience for.   
“It’ll only affect her machine, Shades,” Sonic assured tiredly, Tails stepping behind the other. Tails didn’t really trust a lot of people, he was shy and preferred his machines. “Didn’t you have a mall trip with Rouge today? Did you seriously leave that for this?”   
Shadow shifted, looking away.  
“I just- I don’t want you to hurt her.” Shadow said quietly.  
“Me? Hurt her?” Sonic snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, and Tails is marrying tomorrow.”   
“I’m serious!” Shadow shouted, Tails flinching. “Sorry. Just...Let me talk to her, please. I’m so close to getting through to her.”  
Sonic closed his eyes, sighing. He opened them again to say no but the desperation in Shadow’s eyes, the love and concern for someone he deemed family….. Sonic couldn’t deny that. He couldn’t.  
“Fine. Five minutes.” Sonic barked out, taking a confused Tails and leading him away by the shoulders. Shadow sighed and nodded, preparing to wait for her to arrive.  
“As soon as they start talking, set a timer,” Sonic whispered. “And call GUN for pick up.”  
Truth be told, Sonic was rather cynical. 

Maria was not a bad person. Maria was someone Shadow would have fought for, died for, done horrible things for. Maria was a sickly girl he saved and a best friend he lost.   
She wasn’t a tyrant, she wasn’t crazy, and she wasn’t a monster.  
Shw couldn’t be. Shadow couldn’t have failed her, failed the professor.   
He couldn’t fail. Shadow couldn’t fail Maria like this.  
The gentle purr of engines and the power filled hum of lasers alerted the darker furred hedgehog of his former adopted sister’s arrival.   
“PREPARE FOR YOUR DES-” she stopped mid dramatics, recognizing Shadow. “Oh, it’s you. Where’s Sonic?”  
“I don’t know,” Shadow said truthfully. He had no idea where the other had gone but he figured it didn’t matter. He could do this. He had to do this. He could protect her, even from herself. “Maria, I wanna talk.”  
“We are talking.” Maria leaned forward on the console of her patented Seedsphere, raising an eyebrow. Shadow winced, noting that her army of machines was still attacking in her absence. He opened his mouth to ask her to at least pause her attack and listen but the (crazy, no, not crazy, Maria is not crazy, Maria is not bad,) look in her eyes told him it’d be pointless.  
“.....Right.” Shadow said hesitantly. “Maria, what happened to you?”  
“What do you mean?” she tilted her head before a cheshire grin grew on her face. “OOOH! You’re referring to the whole Empress of the world thing! Funny story, really.”  
“I’m here to listen, Maria, I’m not going anywhere.” Shadow said as assuringly as possible.  
“Aw, well, you remember how you escaped the ARK and GUN shot up everyone else we knew and loved?” she chuckled when Shadow winced and took a visible step back. “Of course you do. Well, you see, some time after that and after they executed my grandfather, I realized something; this world is unorderly. See, that’s why GUN attacked us, we were too disorganized, too many groups, too many secrets, so they tried to set us back in order.”  
“Maria……” Shadow said softly, his ears pounding at the distant screams from the city, the thurm of her machinery, and the drumming of his own fearful and fragile heart.  
“But now, I am the one in control! I make the rules, Shadow! And, really, who else could be better suited to do it? I’m the smartest person in the entire world!” She threw her arms up, as if motioning to the place she considered her playground. Shadow’s breath hitched in his lungs.  
“Maria, you’re hurting innocent people! This will not make you happy, please, you have to stop!” he begged, holding his arms open in a plea. She stared down at him, expression undecipherable.  
“Shadow, I-” Maria started before an electric sound rippled through the air, her floating Seedsphere shaking and wobbling before falling, Maria almost comically falling backwards into her seat.  
Shadow turned around, confused red eyes landing on determined blue fur. Sonic strode towards them confidently, Tails a few steps behind. His gloved hand was pressed on the Miles Electric, watching cautiously as his older brother approached the unstable duo.  
“You said you’d give me time! I was so close to getting through to her!” Shadow hissed, meeting him in the middle. Sonic walked past, scoffing.  
“I said I’d give you five minutes, and I did. You should be grateful I even gave you that long,” Sonic retorted. “You better hope her unhalted attack on a bunch of innocent people didn’t get far, considering I sat on my butt and did nothing while you two had tea and biscuits.”  
“Sonic.” Tails said in a sharp tone, like he was warning him, but Shadow had a feeling he was in hotter water than Sonic anyday. Sonic sighed, rubbing his face and nodding before approaching Mar- Doctor Robotnik.   
“GUN is on their way, so don’t try anything funny.” Sonic warned, hands on his hips. GUN?! Sonic had to be kidding!  
“Why you little pest-” the biology exploiting genius lunged at Sonic before hitting a thin yellow wall. It was a shield, effectively protecting Sonic from the tyrntess’ surprisingly great strength and trapping her in there.   
“Sorry, Doc, but this little game of yours is over.” Sonic said. Doctor Robotnik bared her teeth, eyes glinting behind dark glasses threateningly.   
“GUN? You called… GUN?” Shadow hissed at him, glaring. Sonic glanced at him, a flicker of something like guilt flashing across his face before he looked away once more.   
“They’re the only people who can handle her.” Shadow opened his mouth to argue but Sonic spoke before he could. “Shadow, I have to go, I don’t have time or patience to argue with you today, alright? Go home, Shadow.”  
Sonic turned away from them, his face out of the other’s sight. Shadow snarled at him behind his back, fists in tight balls.

Smile and wave, smile and wave. Laugh at unfunny jokes. Wink, fist bump, don’t let them see your weakness. Bare your teeth and pretend it’s because of joy. Tell them you gotta run, disappear into a blur of blue.  
Take the train.   
The train station is busy, busy and full. Tails messages you, asking when you’ll be home. Send him a message back reminding him to eat and tell him not to worry. He does anyway.   
There are so many people here and you can’t breathe but no one cares who you are here so you go this way. You bleed into the jumble of fur and skin, the mixture of colors hide you better than anything else.   
On the islands, you stand out. In the inner city, you stand out. Here, you do not. This is a small comfort.  
No one cares who you are here. No one cares.  
The hospital is no friendlier looking than ever, a place where you stand out among the sick and the dying, your vibrant hues reminding you of how it should be you.   
It should be you. Why are you still here?

Sonic stopped in front of the hospital room, frowning at the spiraling thoughts, shaking his head. That kind of thinking wouldn’t help anyone, he was better than that.   
He took a deep breath, preparing to step in before being called out.  
“Sonic!” Dr. Quack, a yellow, old duck, greeted, stepping up from behind the 15 year old. “Just the hedgehog I wanted to see. Can we talk?”  
Sonic glances at the door before facing the doctor, smiling as warmly as he could muster.  
“How’s the old man, Quack?” Sonic asked, feeling a sense of dread.   
“....That’s just it, Sonic,” the ducktor sighed before continuing. “Sonic, this disease, its vaccine is still in the works. The treatment has barely made any headway and the next best attempt we have for recovery…. I’ve haggled as best as I could but it’s price, Sonic, you’ve always found a way to pay for any treatment but….”  
He handed a piece of paper to Sonic. Sonic frowned, the slice of parchment confirming his worst fears. His eyes widened at the price tag.  
“It’d be less expensive and less fruitless to just…. try to make him as comfortable as possible. Unless we get a mericle, we’re not looking for much more time for him.”  
No. Nonononono, Sonic, Sonic couldn’t let this happen. He wouldn’t let this happen. No.  
If he sold some things… did a few more odd jobs, feed Tails only leftovers…. Skipped his own meals….  
Yes. it would be hard but they could do this.  
“Is there a chance this could save him?” Sonic asked. Quack blinked, surprised.  
“I…. yes. A small, small chance but… yes.” Quack answered hesitantly but truthfully.  
“I’ll pay it then.” Sonic said casually, offering the paper back. Quack balked.  
“Sonic, this is-! There is no way you’ll get enough money for it and even if you do, there’s no guarantee it’ll work-”  
“Quack.” Sonic’s voice is quiet but it has a warning edge to it. “I said I’d pay it.”  
“........” Quack hesitates but nods, taking back the paper. “I’ll set up a payment plan. When you’re done visiting, we can finalize it in my office.”  
Quack walks away, Sonic allowing himself to waver before pulling himself together and stepping into the room.

Ivo looks up from his magazine, having noted the quiet murmur of voices moments earlier.  
“Hey, old man,” Sonic greets as usual, a teasing grin on his face as he pulls up a chair. “Kick the bucket yet?”  
“Rat. Has my cousin killed you yet?” Ivo retorted, turning back to his magazine. “No Tails this time?”  
“Doesn’t like hospitals or trains.” Sonic shrugged. He leaned further onto the bed, dodging the wires and machines surrounding the elder man to look at his readings.  
“Did you know the study of fruit is called pomology?” Ivo asked, eyes roaming over a page of fruit facts, looking for inaccurateness. “Should have studied that instead of biology in high school.”  
“Eh, doesn’t sound much better than biology.” Sonic hummed, ears flicking.  
They sat like that for a few minutes, Ivo spouting a fruit fact or any tidbit of knowledge he knew and Sonic half asleep nodding in agreement.  
“......How bad am I?” Ivo asked suddenly, looking out his window. Sonic sat up, frowning. “No one will answer me directly but… I can tell. I can feel it. I’m getting worse, aren’t I?”  
Sonic’s breath hitched. They had had this conversation honestly before and once was enough. Sonic’s mouth opened and his lies flowed out.  
“Nah, you’re getting way better, Ivo. You’ll be out of here in no time, no sweat,” Sonic fibbed. “Just one last push and you’ll be as good as new!”  
“... I see.” Ivo said softly.  
Both knew it wasn’t the truth but neither were strong enough to say so. The lies were better. 

“I gotta go now, old man,” Sonic said after being there for an hour. “Make sure Tails ate and all of that.”   
“Hm. Alright, rat,” Ivo said, nodding at the younger, watching him leave. “Take care now. I love you.”  
“....” Sonic choked on the words, his heart aching at the words. “....Love you too, dad.” 

Sonic made it two hallways before diverting into the bathroom, collapsing in a stall with pitiful sobs.   
His dad was dying. His dad was dying. His dad was dying.   
His dad was dying and he was the only one who cared!  
No one cared about Ivo Robotnik.  
His cries echoed in the bathroom, people coming and going as if it was nothing.  
No one cared for Sonic’s tears.   
No one cared.  
No one cared.  
No one cared.

So why should I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment and/or kudos.

**Author's Note:**

> Yo, you're here. That's unexpected. How late is it for you? You should probably get some sleep. Don't forget to eat breakfast and I don't mean one skimpy piece of toast. Take a shower, alright? Not cause you smell bad, it's just good for you. Alright, you all good, amigo/a? Alright, good. Please leave a comment if you have the time or enjoyed it.


End file.
